


Green Eyes

by InterestingGirl



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Incredible Hulk - All Media Types
Genre: Cute Bruce, F/M, Humor, Resolved Sexual Tension, Sort of a work relationship, Sweet, The Helicarrier is a love machine, Therapy, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Word Games
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-28
Updated: 2016-01-14
Packaged: 2018-03-15 16:19:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 22,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3453815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InterestingGirl/pseuds/InterestingGirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bruce meets someone really interesting in Calcutta. What happens when he meets her again, this time on the helicarrier? She's S.H.I.E.L.D new therapist! He can manage his anger just fine, but he can't stop himself from going for his 'therapy' sessions. A humorous take on the hot and sweet side of our favorite scientist. Bruce/OFC</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. French Fries

Bruce Banner loved the frozen foods aisle. Not because he was a sucker for packaged peas or ready-to-eat Spring rolls. It wasn't about the frozen Indian Snacks there- the 'paneer tikka' or 'aloo' patty.

It was just so nice and cold. A welcome respite from the heat that surrounded him, outside and within. Maybe S.H.I.E.L.D should build him a huge refrigerator, he thought, as he pushed his wobbly shopping cart in the frozen foods aisle of Calcutta's largest departmental grocery store. Maybe the icy coolness could solve his little green problem, he thought, and chuckled.

Calcutta was a mess, but it felt like his mess. He looked around him and saw two excited shoppers rushing through, muttering something about Pepsi. He remained at his favourite spot, pretending to read the label of the frozen curry in his hand. He smiled to himself thinking of all the gleaming, luxurious hotels he had stayed at, and the State-of-the-Art lab he once worked in. He had grown so used to this current location that all those comforts seemed to be from a previous life.

He looked up from his curry packet and saw a woman standing next to him, trying to reach a box of frozen french fries. She was wearing a pair of skinny jeans and a pink tunic with a peacock embroidered on it. Her arm stretched out to the top aisle, partially covering her face from his view. She seemed too fair, too rosy to be from Calcutta, where the harsh sun caused a bronze complexion. She wasn't pale, nor did she have that redness that most tourists did when they experienced the heat. Her attire was similarly confusing. Skinny jeans were a western staple, while the tunic looked native. Who was she?

Realizing that he was holding the same packet of frozen curry, he hurriedly dumped it in his cart and moved towards her, pretending to look for french fries too. She had managed to get hers, and her head was bent as she read the label on the packet. Her hair were falling over her face and Bruce noticed how long they were. Waist length, almost. And their mocha colour suddenly made him crave a cup of coffee, steaming, with cream and…

She looked up at him.

Green eyes, so clear, they seemed to glow. For a moment, Bruce couldn't think.

"'Hi! Another fan of the french fries?' she said, grinning and waving her packet of french fries at him. Bruce smiled in response. At least he hoped he was smiling and not leering, as he suspected he was close to doing. Maybe he should say something...

'Actually, I haven't ever tried them. Any good?'

She laughed and said, 'An American who lives in India, and doesn't depend of frozen french fries for nutrition? Impressive.'

She spoke to him with an easy familiarity, like she knew him for years. Was she flirting with him? His own social skills were pretty rusty, so he couldn't tell. He really didn't want to overanalyse and embarrass himself. 'How can you be sure I'm American?'

'Elementary, my dear Watson. Your accent.'

Bruce was a little taken aback. He thought he didn't have one anymore, after all his globetrotting. Surprisingly, this mysterious girl was able to pick it up from his English so casually, and despite his 'adventures' all over the world, he couldn't identify her accent. She could have been from anywhere.

'You caught me. Where are you from?' Bruce tried not to show how curious he was for the answer.

Suddenly, he heard some music. And, since it didn't sound like violins, he suspected it wasn't just in his head. Was it some rock song? Led Zeppelin?

The girl reached into her pocket, looking embarrassed, and pulled out her ringing cell phone. Her cheeks were looking even rosier by her slight blush. Was it embarrassment over her choice of ringtone, surprise over the call, or something else?

'Hello...WHAT? No, Phil, you know weddings are big deal with my family. No, you- It's not like it is with everybody. Believe me, you don't know what torture I will have to face it I miss the wedding of my- Phil, it's my first vacation in ages! What is the rush- ok, no need to be sarcastic. I'll try to fly out tomorr- Fine, today- No, not immediately. I need to say bye and pack some important things. That's the the final deal, Phil. Cool, then, see you on the super-secret helicarri-Ok, I won't say it out loud. Bye.'

Bruce heard every word she spoke and again tried, unsuccessfully, to identify her accent. And without realizing it, he fervently prayed 'Phil' wasn't her boyfriend.

'Sorry about that! That was my boss having a fit' she said. 'I guess I have to return to my job earlier than expected so, I gotta go. BTW, what's your name?'

Bruce was still processing her sudden words, so he responded automatically, 'Bruce'.

'It was really nice to meet you! Enjoy your french fries, Bruce from America!' And before he could say anything to stop her, she broke into a sprint and vanished from the store. Bruce was left standing next to her abandoned shopping cart. He looked at his hand and realized that it was numb from holding the packet of frozen french fries. His mind was similarly numb. He cursed himself, wishing he had stopped her somehow, finished their conversation. That girl- How could he not ask her name? - left him with so many questions. Who was she? Where was she from? How did she know so much about accents? Was that really Led Zeppelin playing as her ringtone? Why was he so intrigued by her? And her eyes...

Where had he seen that shade of green before?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A story about my favorite Avenger! And an OC that matches his awesomeness! Get set for a roller coaster worthy of blowing the socks off the Hulk! Kudos and comments make my day :-)


	2. Twichy

Bruce Banner hated all planes, aircrafts, ships and submarines. And now he had a new addition to the list. The Helicarrier.

It was his own personal nightmare. Even with years of practice of keeping his temper in check, he knew that he was putting everyone on the vessel at risk by his very presence. It was hard enough avoiding stress in Calcutta, even where he was anonymous and accepted. Here, the world was literally at risk, and everyone seemed to be fearfully avoiding him. The irony was that S.H.I.E.L.D's agents, who got him here in the first place, seemed to be the most twitchy about him.

Even Natasha, who 'persuaded' him to join the mission, and locate the Tesseract for S.H.I.E.L.D, seemed to tread carefully around him. And the hint of fear was ever present. Didn't they realize that their attitude really bothered him? Did they want the other guy on the loose?

Bruce sighed. He was being too harsh with them. He could hardly expect them to frolic around him and kiss him goodnight. He had hardly begun to accept himself, then how could he expect them to accept him?

Instead of focusing on annoying thoughts like these, he decided to throw himself into his work. And it wasn't tough. Work had always been fun. Well, except the time it had turned him green and destructive. But otherwise, his work helped relax him, and he knew that the sooner he finished, the faster he got out of here. He just hoped everyone on the helicarrier survived to see that day.

* * *

'Therapy? You're joking, right?'

'Studies have proved that even one session per week can bring significant reductions in stress levels-' Natasha started to explain calmly, but Bruce cut her off.

'How many of those studies are structured around people like me, Agent Romanoff? Let me answer that- none.' 'Dr Banner, I know it makes you uncomfortable to lose your privacy but-'

'Its not about privacy, Agent', Bruce sighed. 'Its about the fact that no therapist is able to stay calm and objective with me. How can they? One wrong word and BAM! My anger is not something anyone can take lightly, no matter how professional they are.' Bruce didn't add that talking to another Nervous Nelly would be the last straw to his precarious control.

'What if the therapist doesn't know?' Natasha asked.

'Doesn't know what?' Bruce asked cautiously, his interest piqued.

'What if the therapist doesn't know anything about your history or your little green problem, Doc?' Natasha was almost grinning. Almost. 'How would you like an hour of total anonymity, where you can talk about whatever you want, without fear of impending disaster?'

Bruce was.. surprised. This was not something he had expected. Normal human conversation? (Though it was debatable how human he was anymore) It sounded too good to be true. Knowing S.H.I.E.L.D, it probably wasn't that straightforward. Maybe there was a hidden clause, about him giving out samples of his blood or spit for research or something.

'Why?' Bruce asked. 'Whats in it for you?'

'Keeping the helicarrier in one piece.' Natasha replied, slight smile in place. She was even batting her eyelashes.

Bruce knew she was trying to charm him into agreeing. Natasha Romanoff wasn't the flirty and smiley sort. Was Fury so worried about the other guy that he had to send the Black Widow to persuade him, again? Would everyone sleep better if he was doing therapy?

'So my therapist would know nothing beforehand?' Bruce asked. He could almost hear Natasha's internal sigh of relief.

'Nothing, not even your name. Everything would be up to you. You decide what you want to reveal about yourself, and when. No recording or transcripts of the sessions will be created by S.H.I.E.L.D. No interference in any manner. You can go and play monopoly for an hour everyday, as long as it calms you.'

Bruce thought about it. Ever since the accident, he hadn't had the chance to be himself- just himself- without feeling like a monster or an outcast. Even in Calcutta, there was no one-  _almost_  no one, he amended- with whom he felt like himself. He knew what his answer was going to be.

'Fine, its a deal. But if I kill the therapist because of anything he says, don't say I didn't warn anyone.' Bruce added darkly.

'Don't worry Doc. Your therapist is very perceptive. Your secret won't stay hidden for long.' Bruce opened his mouth to interrupt, but before he could, Natasha winked at him and added, ' And Doc, I believe your therapist is a she.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos make my day :-D


	3. Faint

Bruce couldn't concentrate.

A entire day had gone by since Natasha got him to sign up for therapy. But that was all Bruce could think about. He tried to focus on the percentage bar filling up on his screen, but couldn't. Hell, it was bad enough that he had to spend an hour everyday with a shrink. But a woman shrink? He couldn't remember what he was thinking when he had agreed to that.

Never negotiate with a spy.

He was very apprehensive, but also felt a bit curious. He was a scientist, after all. Who was this woman, who agreed to work for an organisation like S.H.I.E.L.D? What did it feel like to hold everyone's secrets within a secret organisation? Was she a spy too? Nah. Spies couldn't help others relax. They had a vague sense of.. tension around them. His therapist would probably be motherly and plump, with her knitting in her lap. But she must be a tough lady, he thought. If she knows what haunts secret agents, she must have a spine of steel.

He had just finished his sixth cup of green tea (coffee didn't suit his temperament) when an agent entered the lab. 'Good M-m-morning, Mister Banner. I mean, Doctor! Doctor Banner!'

Bruce suppressed a groan. Another one of the quaking-in-their-boots-brigade. Bruce read his nametag. Agent Gunthur.

'If it ok with- if you are free, Dr Banner, I'm supposed to take you to your session.'

'Lead the way, Agent.'

* * *

The therapist's office was in the farthest corner of the entire ship. The only other rooms in the corridor were empty storage rooms, full of dusty, dumped desks and chairs. Bruce wondered if that was for his benefit. Best to limit the destruction to a remote area in case the other guy was unleashed. Good plan, for everyone except the unsuspecting lady on the other side of the door.

'Don't worry, Dr Banner. We have done everything you requested for. She doesn't know anything about you. I have personally handled your privacy issue, and I can assure you that everything, even your name is a complete and total secret.' Agent Gunthur was rambling. Ignoring him, Bruce took deep breaths and relaxed his muscles. The agent knocked and entered the office without waiting for an answer. Bruce followed him inside.

The room was cheerful, painted yellow, posters plastered on most of the walls. The usual therapist's couch was missing. Instead, two red bean bags sat facing a 48-inch television screen. A sofa, a small coffee table and a bookcase were placed in one corner. There was a huge, oriental desk at the back of the office, with books, files and photos scattered on it. A lady stood behind it. She wasn't motherly, she wasn't plump.

She had green eyes.

'Bruce? Bruce from America? What are you doing here!'

Before Bruce could could answer, there was a thudding sound next to him. Agent Gunthur had fainted.

* * *

'Wake up now, all the way' Bruce said, slapping Agent Gunthur's face again, and sprinkling some water on the panic-struck man.

Agent Gunthur was stirring, muttering something about 'I didn't tell her' and 'Please don't be angry.' Bruce suppressed a laugh. Apparently, his privacy agreement was taken very seriously here.

He thought of his young therapist and felt closer to laughter. He couldn't believe his luck. He meets a mysterious woman he can't stop thinking about and fate drops her right into his lap. Or rather drops him into hers. He pressed his lips together to prevent a laugh from spilling out.

 _She_  was a therapist? He still couldn't believe it. He snuck a peek at her, as she was looked worriedly at Agent Gunthur. How was he supposed to be objective and controlled if it was her he was talking to? Bruce remembered the day he met her, and how she was suddenly called to work. If it was S.H.I.E.L.D she worked for, it wasn't a shock that she put work ahead of the wedding of her- cousin? Friend? He couldn't remember. Again, he found himself wishing he knew her name. Before he could ask her, the unconscious agent sat up.

'I'm fine, just got a bit dizzy, doctor.' He looked very embarrassed. But surprisingly, it wasn't Bruce he was looking at. It was the other doctor in the room. The agent gazed at the lovely lady with a expression close to worship. Bruce realized why Agent Gunthur agreed to this assignment despite his obvious fear of the other guy.

Agent Gunthur stood up, aimed a weak smile at the therapist- Was nobody going to reveal her name!- and quickly walked out of the room without meeting Bruce's eyes. Suddenly, Bruce felt slightly nervous. It was only him and her now.

'So you are the Mystery guest everyone was zipped up about!' She smiled at Bruce conspiratorially. Bruce's mouth went dry. He wondered how he was going to survive the hour if she continued to smile at him like that.

'By the way, I'm Maya.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A comment a day keeps Doctor Bruce at play! ;-P
> 
> Next Chapter: Maya's POV


	4. Crack

Maya loved a challenge.

As a therapist, pushy or aggressive people were interesting puzzles. Even people who remain silent about their lives or lied when faced with difficult questions were full of mystery. But, her favourite kind of challenge was different.

Quiet confidence.

And that was exactly what this man had. He was secretive, but made no attempt to hide behind lies. Obviously, he had some pull around here- Agents didn't bother to look up at you sometimes, and he just made one faint- but he didn't have even a hint of arrogance. His confidence was totally un-flashy.

Her brief encounter with him in Calcutta made her even more curious. There, she had been very interested in him- not romantically, she tried telling herself- but because he was an interesting sort of guy. But his presence- and status- at the helicarrier made it obvious that he wasn't just some cute guy she noticed. And that he hadn't been in Calcutta for a vacation. What had he been doing in India? Was he an agent? A soldier? A bureaucrat? She quickly ruled out those possibilities. He wouldn't be shopping at a grocery store if he was at such a high risk job. But what other job causes such a sudden change in location? She laughed to herself. She was one to ask, with her own residential status in permanent limbo.

She knew that her job was unique. Even a normal therapist finds it difficult to cope with other people's stress. And she handled the mind-numbingly complex issues of people working for S.H.I.E.L.D. She often wondered why she was offered this job. S.H.I.E.L.D must have found out everything about her before giving her an offer. Her academic record, her previous clients,her personal life- especially her background- must be known to them. Hell, she wouldn't be surprised if they followed her everywhere for a year before trusting her. And it was surprising that they chose her. What was even more surprising was that she accepted their offer. But she enjoyed this most people, S.H.I.E.L.D's secrecy and tension-filled atmosphere didn't bother her at all. And she had handled several tricky cases with ease.

Agent Gunthur's brief about her latest assignment had been short. She wasn't going to be told anything about her guest, as per his explicit request. She shouldn't surprise him, push him, yell at him or even poke him unexpectedly, if she valued her life. Hearing his words, Maya had painted a picture of a boring, stiff war veteran, with a big belly and a bigger ego. But instead, it was this man, who was young and normal.

And ridiculously attractive.

Suddenly, being called to work in the middle of her vacation didn't seem so bad.

* * *

'So, Bruce, make yourself comfortable.'

Maya watched him carefully. Where a man- a person- chose to sit said a lot about him. The bean bag sitters were fun loving and adventurous, a sofa preference indicated a serious, academic type, the one who sat on the swivel chair across the desk were the ones who didn't want to be here. Maya pegged him for the swivel chair sort.

He looked around at the array of seats. Subtlely wrinkling his nose at the uncomfortable-looking swivel chair, he sat down on the bean bag.

Maya smiled. Who would have thought the serious looking man would surprise her so often? Well, now it was her turn to surprise sat down on a bean bag next to his. "So what's this I hear about you?" she asked him without preamble.

"What did you hear about me?" asked Bruce, looking panicked.

Maya laughed. "Nothing. That's the thing."

He relaxed at her words and gave a nervous chuckle. That was Maya's first clue. His secrets were personal. He wouldn't be nervous himself if someone else had revealed some national secret to her. Perhaps his secret made him self-conscious too. Some mistake he made in his previous assignment?

Bruce cleared his throat and started to speak."I'm sorry for the elaborate secrecy. I know it seems very pretentious, but its really for your own good. Not knowing anything-"he paused and amended-"Not knowing much about me will be helpful to your professional objectivity."

Maya listened to him and sighed inwardly. Every patient thought withholding information was for the therapist's good. How was she supposed to help anyone when they didn't talk about what was up with them? Its not like she didn't know people were capable of doing crap. One of her patients was a Secret Agent, who had fallen in love with Director Fury. A male Secret Agent. If she could keep her objectivity after that, there wasn't anything that could shake her.

"I totally agree with you, Bruce. You shouldn't tell me anything that would come in the way of my professionalism. I wish everyone was accommodating.'

"Thank you" he said, seeming very glad about her agreement. Little did he know, she planned to smother him with his need for silence.

"So, wanna watch The Sound of music?" she asked him.

'What?" His adorably confused face was making her giggle. She continued innocently-"The Sound of Music, you know, the old Julie Andrews movie? Do you want to watch it?" Bruce looked at her like she had suggested they braid each others hair. "But wha-why are we watching a movie now?"

Maya's replied without missing a beat."Movies are a great way to relax. The best kind of therapy. Plus, this way, you won't have to talk about anything at all." She was grinning internally."It's perfect for all your needs."

"But I-" Bruce started to say, but she cheerfully cut him off "Oh no, don't worry, I won't bother you at all. You just relax in peace"

Quickly, she turned on the huge TV and put on the movie, while Bruce was still trying to figure out why he got a silent reprieve. The movie started with a song. Maya looked at her watch. 3.07 pm

She estimated he would crack in fifteen minutes.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How do you like Maya? She's more fiesty than Bruce.
> 
> Don't worry, Bruce is gonna be back ;-)


	5. On His Toes

Bruce was loving it. The movie was peaceful. He was totally getting de-stressed. He felt it was a brilliant idea.

That feeling lasted for fifteen minutes.

Then Bruce was dying.

The movie was excruciatingly positive. And in the chaos of his mind, every song was grating. Here he was, sitting two feet away from his gorgeous therapist, and instead of chatting her up, or making an embarrassing effort to flirt with her, he was watching a 60s movie.

If only it were a date.

But alas, his own terms had bound him. His 'Nothing personal' clause had come back to bite him in the ass. Of course, when he had agreed to the brilliant plan, he hadn't expected his therapist to be this woma- Maya. He knew her name now. Thank god she wasn't just 'the woman who he met in calcutta' or 'the woman he was starting to think about too much' now. There was a name to go with her face in his thoughts.

He wished he wasn't attracted to her. It would have been so simple if she were just an ordinary therapist. He would have still been enjoying watching the movie. There would have been no tension in him. And he wouldn't be wishing they were watching a horror movie, so that she would cling to him when the she got scared. He snuck a peek at her. She didn't look like a clinger. He sighed to himself. She would surely make a good one.

Soon, Bruce's focus shifted away completely from the movie, and onto Maya.

How relaxed she was. Here he was trying to figure out a way to talk to her, and she was busy enjoying the movie! Huh. He had expected S.H.I.E.L.D to hire the best. And she wasn't really doing anything about his 'problems'. Shouldn't she be grilling him about everything she could? Identity-revealing questions were banned, but she could get him to talk about something. She hadn't even tried. All she had managed to do in so much time was bore him and..

And make him want to talk about himself.

Bruce almost chuckled aloud. She really was sneaky. He wasn't dealing with an ordinary therapist. Well, S.H.I.E.L.D does hire the best. And he wasn't too bad himself. He knew exactly how to handle this situation.

Time for a nap.

* * *

Maya was fuming.

It was all going so well! Bruce was confused, the movie was slow, and she wasn't paying any attention to him (despite wanting to a lot). And then, he showed classic signs of frustration when fifteen minutes were up. He fidgeted, looked at her a couple of times and it seemed like he was going to start talking.

But then he fell asleep.

What was happening? Was the movie she selected too boring? Nah, she thought. 'The Sound of Music' wasn't going to put anyone to sleep. And Bruce didn't seem too relaxed or sleepy when he came. So how did he conk off? She felt like shaking his broad shoulders and waking him up immediately. Wait a minute…

His toes wriggled!

He was pretending to sleep! That deceptive handsome little fiend! Was he avoiding her? No, that didn't make sense. He didn't even know she was looking at him. But why else would he feign sleep? He didn't even have to do anything in the session. He just had to sit and watch the movie. Of course, he was eventually supposed to break down, get frustrated and start talking to her.

Could it be just that? Was he pretending to sleep to avoid the temptation of talking to her? He could have done that even with his eyes open! There was no need to frustrate her…

Oh god. He was playing  _her_  trick on her. She was impressed despite herself. This had to be a therapy record. No one had tried this on her before.

Well, she loved a challenge.

He was her biggest one yet.

* * *

Bruce's back was hurting. Sleeping on a bean bag wasn't comfortable. Or pretending to sleep, anyways.

His right foot was itching. But he couldn't scratch it. Not a new feeling for him this week, he thought wryly.

It seemed like Maya had neatly fallen for his trick. She didn't seem suspicious. She didn't try to make any sudden noises to surprise him, or doubt whether he was sleeping in any manner. Bruce wished he could have seen her expression when she realised he was asleep. Sigh. He wished he could see her, period. But sneeking a peek would have been too risky.

He laughed to himself. If her theory was as effective on her as it was on him, then she would be the one who was going to wake him up and start talking soon.

It had been a long time, though. Why wasn't she waking him up? Did his trick work too well? Was she letting him sleep?

Carefully, he opened his eyes the tiniest bit and looked in her direction. Her bean bag was empty. Instead, she was sitting on the floor, near his feet and looking right at him. And from that angle, his slightly open eyes were totally visible to her. He stiffened guiltily.

Maya burst out laughing.

* * *

Maya couldn't stop herself from laughing hysterically when Bruce opened his eyes. He was so cute! She knew she must seem unprofessional, and unladylike, from the way she was sprawled on the floor, giggling, but she couldn't stop.

Bruce was blushing! He was so adorable. She guessed he wasn't used to being caught red-handed. He didn't even try to justify himself! He just gave a guilty smile. It made her want to..

She checked her thoughts. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, she took a deep breath and calmed herself. Bruce got off his bean bag and sat across her on the floor. And 'I thought I was doing such a good fake nap' he said, grinning. She replied with a similar grin.

'Oh, you were really good. But your toes don't act as well as you'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the reading! I am dying to read your thoughts on this :-)


	6. Music

Bruce couldn't believe it.

The session was over. And he couldn't remember the last time he had felt so relaxed. It was such a sharp U-turn from the usual state of affairs that the entire episode seemed to be a part of a dream. A vivid dream. A really vivid, beautiful dream.

And he knew with whom the credit lay. Maya. She wasn't like any other girl- that is, therapist- he knew. Despite her clever tactics to make him talk, she didn't seem to want to pressure him at all. She truly respected his need for privacy, though his request must have seemed absurd. And she didn't judge him on a stereotype. For the longest time, people had identified him with the Other guy. Before the accident, he was just the super smart Dr Banner. Even in Calcutta, he was the anonymous foreigner medic. It was a nice change to be Bruce. Just Bruce.

He actually felt like a normal guy with her. He felt charming and witty, and even when she laughed at his 'sleeping' antics, she didn't make him feel like a fool. They had spent the remaining session sitting on the floor, joking and playing an assortment of games on her playstation. He enjoyed most of them, though the karaoke singing had left him a little red in the face.

He returned to his lab after the session and quickly ran the final tests and simulations for the day. Though he was nowhere close to finishing his work, he didn't have the same nervous tension anymore. He couldn't believe everything worked out so well. And he was feeling so good.

New thoughts entered his mind as he walked back to his room in the east wing dormitories (which were almost unoccupied except for his room. Shocking. Not). Was Maya's attractiveness a part of the therapy? Did all her male patients fall so hard for her, or was it just him? She seemed really sincere, but was she just tolerating him? Was he just another eclectic, bothersome mister who she was supposed to humour?

Bruce knew he shouldn't complain. If S.H.I.E.L.D hadn't offered to keep his identity a secret, she probably wouldn't even have been able to talk to him without stuttering.

Without fearing his anger. Without being repulsed by the monster he was.

Suddenly, he wasn't feeling that good.

* * *

Maya was really bored.

She knew that the helicarrier wasn't going to be having rave parties, but did it have to be this.. silent? And the wing in which she was given her little room was totally uninhabited. Were they purposely creeping her out?

If there was one thing Maya couldn't bear, it was boredom. Thats why Maya's room and office were the way they were. Colourful and unconventional. She may be in one place for a day or a decade, but her space was  _her_  space. She liked to be creative with it.

She sat on her little jute settee in front of the mirror, brushing her hair, and looked at herself. She knew she wasn't as fair as most women in this part of the world. Her hair was a plain brown, unlike the flaming red hair of that agent with the russian name. Sighing, she set down the brush. She wished she looked more exotic or stunning. She had nice eyes but otherwise wasn't very noticeable.

She wondered what had gotten into her. It had been a long time since she was felt so critical, so self conscious. Was it because of her handsome, adorable patient?

Like a child putting his hand in a cookie jar, she felt both guilty and thrilled when she thought about Bruce. She knew she shouldn't but couldn't stop herself from dwelling on his face, his broad shoulders, his gentlemanly behaviour. She had never been so aware of any man before. Even playing video games with him seemed like a roller coaster ride on her nerves.

What could he have possibly done that even his name was too much to reveal?

She wondered what he was hiding.

* * *

Bruce was hiding his head under the pillows.

His unusually exciting day had left him feeling distinctly unsettled. His mind was crammed with millions of things. And even the peace and quiet of his room had been invaded.

Someone was playing a very loud rock song.

Rock? Here at the Helicarrier? Even the funeral march would seem too cheerful in this place.

Bruce tried ignoring it. It wasn't  _very_  loud if your head was under the pillows. Maybe if he stuffed some cotton in his ears too... No, it didn't help. It was coming from too close by. That was what was even more puzzling. Wasn't his dormitory in an isolated wing?

Finally Bruce gave up. He had to go and put a stop to this nonsense.

He walked out of his room and strode into the long, narrow corridor of the east wing. He had only passed a couple of rooms to his left before he identified the room from where the infernal noise was coming.

He knocked once. Twice. Thrice. No response. The damn music was muffling his knocks. Feeling more than a little bugged, he started banging the door hard.

Finally, the door clicked open. Fully prepared to vent his ire, Bruce opened his mouth to speak. But then he saw who opened the door, and his mouth gaped open for another reason altogether.

It was Maya.

She was wearing an over sized T-shirt.

And nothing else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dum Dum DUM!


	7. Sleepless Night

Maya hadn't expected company.

Why had Bruce knocked her door in the middle of the night? And he looked so shocked! He kept looking down like he couldn't meet her eye. What was going on? Was it some kind of emergency? Or night terrors? God, if she just knew what were his issues were, she wouldn't have let him be so upset!

"Bruce! Are you alright? Do you have trouble sleeping alone?"

Bruce still looked shell-shocked, and stuttered "I-I..". Now Maya was really worried.

"Come on in" she said and pulled him inside by the arm.

Her sette was too low for him to be comfortable- he was pretty tall compared to her 5'4" frame- so she made him sit on her bed. He seemed a little numb, and plonked onto her soft, golden comforter. She turned to her bedside table to pour him a glass of water, accidentally dropping some water on the floor. Now of all times, she thought. Grabbing a napkin, she bent down to wipe the mess when suddenly, Bruce was groaning.

Maya bent over him and touched his cheek. "Bruce, honey, what's wrong? You're really scaring me now. Are you in pain? Did you have some recurring nightmare? What is it?"

Bruce finally opened his mouth. His voice came out oddly squeaky. "Oh no, I'm fine. Actually, I just- My room is just down the hall- so I thought that- I was hearing some music- I wasn't able to sleep- I just..."

"My music must have driven you crazy! Bruce, I'm so sorry! I really thought this wing was deserted! I didn't realize that I was disturbing anyone. Let me correct my mistake...Can you think of anyway that I can make it upto you?"

Bruce sprung off her bed. "No harm done, it was no problem really" and he started rushing to the door like his life depended on it.

Maya was still wondering what happened, when she saw Bruce pause, look back and sneak a peek at her legs before closing the door behind him.

Thats when she realised that she was standing in her just her led zeppelin t-shirt the whole time.

* * *

Bruce hurried back into his room, opened his door, got in and locked the door behind him. He had survived the most slow,teasing encounter of his life.

Her attire had already hidden very little from him, but when she had bent down to mop the spilt water, the shirt had ridden up enough to reveal lacy red underwear. When she had touched his cheek in worry, she was so close to him that Bruce actually had to use all his self control to not combust on the spot.

So innocently she called him inside her room, so concerned she was about him. If she knew what was going on inside his head she probably would've slammed the door on his face. Or slapped him.

Who slept in such little clothing? She did, apparently. With her smooth, toned legs exposed to the cold. And now the memory of her revealing pyjamas were imprinted upon his brain.

Sleep wasn't going to be possible now, Bruce decided. It was time to take a cold shower.

* * *

Maya couldn't sleep. A very cute, sleep tousled Bruce had come knocking on her door, and she actually let him in without realizing she was not dressed for company. Her cheeks were burning thinking about what a fool she had made of herself. Bruce must have thought she was brazen- or worse desperate. She was feeling like crying. How could she be so stupid?

Her mind went over and over the embarrassing incident. But she knew it was useless to mope. Slowly, calmed herself down and thought about it rationally instead of just blaming herself. Only when she understood the situation, she could do any damage control.

Bruce had been knocking the door pretty furiously, she thought, but as soon as she opened the door, he seemed to be a little distracted and kept looking down. Then, he followed her in. If he was very scandalized by her, he would have run from the door. Phew, she thought. So she hadn't messed up too badly.

He had basically come to ask her to keep the noise down. And he did that and left.

So the question arose, why was he flustered? Her mind flashed to the moment when Bruce turned back to stare at her legs. He didn't look to shocked, he looked rather…

Appreciative.

Maya couldn't stop a silly grin from spreading on her face.

Could it be that he found her attractive? Was it possible that he was flustered because she was pretty?

Maya felt giddy and light headed even thinking about such things. She tried to calm herself down. She could be horribly wrong for all she knew.

But what if she was right?

No. Nothing could happen between them. She was his therapist. She wasn't supposed to be crushing on him like a teenager. Even if he was interested in her, she should discourage it. Anything but a platonic relationship would only mess up things. And she didn't even know anything about him yet! How would she get him to open up and talk to her freely with so much tension in the way?

Sigh. Maya couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. She climbed onto her plush bed, and snuggled under her golden comforter. Going over her thoughts once more, she felt like laughing at herself. She had spent so much time hypothesizing about Bruce's one look. For all she knew, he didn't even look at her as a woman.

* * *

Bruce woke up, got ready, and somehow got to the lab. He was tired, sleepy and exhausted. After his cold shower, Bruce had spent half the night tossing and turning and when he'd finally gone to sleep, he saw dreams, that were best forgotten in the light of the day. But alas, the ones that you want to forget are the one that haunt you the most. And his imagination was pretty vivid in his dreams.

He was still lost in his dreams when Natasha walking in the lab.

"Working hard it seems, Doc"

Bruce jumped. He hadn't heard her come in. And his thoughts were so loud that Natasha had probably heard what he was thinking.

But he maintained his composure.

"Hello, Agent Romanoff. I trust everything is going well? "

"As well as it can get. We are probably going to go Loki hunting soon"

Bruce was surprised. "You found him?"

"Yes, in Germany. We were just getting ready to fly out." Agent Romanoff made it sound like they were picking up a parcel. Bruce wondered whether she didn't feel much, or she just hid emotions well.

"I had just dropped in to talk to you before we left. How are your therapy sessions going, Doc? Do you like it?" Natasha's eyes were twinkling. Bruce wondered whether she knew how he was starting to feel about his unique, beautiful therapist. "Well, I survived, she survived. Can't complain"

Natasha chuckled. "Don't attack her when I'm not here, Doc" was that innuendo? Now, Bruce was definitely suspicious that Natasha was suspicious about his totally inappropriate thoughts.

"I'll keep that in mind. Best of luck, Agent"

Natasha smiled, but a little grimly. "Thanks. Let's hope we don't need it"

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Someone very special is going to be coming the next chapter. No, not Loki (though he is coming). It's someone who'll make life at the Helicarrier a little more interesting. Think you know who?


	8. Associations

Bruce walked down to Maya's office. God, in a single session with her, he felt as if he had changed forever. He wondered if he would survive another one. Especially if Maya was wearing something short…

No, he thought. Let's not even go down that path. He would be a perfectly civil patient, and would not ogle his Doctor. If he just kept that mantra in mind maybe he would emerge from the session unscathed. Knocking on her door, he repeated to himself, Don't ogle her, Don't ogle her, Don't ogle her…..

She opened the door, and smiled. She was wearing a very formal white shirt. But, instead of wearing trousers, or even a pencil skirt, she had on a pair of red velvet shorts so tiny that they barely covered more that the shirt. "Hey Bruce, come on in.", she said casually and started to walk in.

Ogle her, Ogle her…. No! Bruce smacked himself on the head. Don't, Don't ogle her!

Thankfully, Maya seemed to be blissfully unaware of mental tug-of war. But she had her back towards him, and his eyes seemed to roam everywhere a gentleman's eyes shouldn't. Bruce forced himself to look up and behave himself.

Maya went and settled on the bean bag and he followed suit. She grinned and asked "So what do you wanna do today? Monopoly? Jenga?" As was her style, she used no pressure. Just smiles and quietness. He actually felt relaxed in her presence. As relaxed as a red blooded man could feel in her presence.

"Though I must warn you, I just use the board games as a ploy to psychoanalyse my patients" She said, with a laugh in her eyes. Bruce felt his own tiredness and fatigue of the day- and of a million days before- dissolve in those eyes. They glinted with humour, and shimmered with mystery. She was so honest, open, unpretentious, and yet, he realised, she divulged nothing of herself. She was professional, of course, and perhaps that's why she kept her private life private. But for a woman trying to ferret out his secrets, she surely had many of her own. He didn't even know her last name. But somehow, whenever he looked into her eyes, he forgot all his questions.

Suddenly, Bruce decided what to do. "Let's skip the board games. You can psychoanalyse me as much as you want". Maya's face turned surprised. He was half-surprised himself. But he continued. "On one condition."

"What condition?" Maya asked, still bemused at his sudden acquiescence.

"You have to let me psychoanalyse you in return"

* * *

Maya was really flustered. She had fished out her shortest shorts to check-objectively, of course, just for information- how Bruce reacts to her- her legs, that is- but it was she who was having a tough time stopping herself from jumping him. He seemed so deliciously sure of himself, and subtle-ly sexy. But he was a patient. Her first responsibility was to make sure he is healthy. Of course, "keeping him healthy" was bringing in some graphic visuals in her head- none of which involved psychiatry. She had to get her thoughts in order. So he psychoanalysing her was probably not a good idea right now. He may know nothing about medicine, or psychology, but her wayward thoughts might give something away anyways.

"That's not exactly how it works, Bruce" Maya said, trying to sound nonchalant.

But Bruce wasn't buying it. "Come on, Maya. I may not be a doctor like you-" he chuckled a little-"But I'm not an idiot. You can probably make me talk about whatever you want in five minute flat" Maya's cheeks burned at being caught. He always seemed to know what she was upto. Indeed she had planned to make him spill some secrets today- her relaxed manner was only a façade. She was pretty unorthodox, and despite her academic achievements, her methods weren't found in books. So, he was pretty much a mind reader. Or something.

"Let me do my job, Bruce. You do yours."

"And what job is that?" Bruce asked.

Maya winked. "That's something you haven't told me yet"

Bruce chuckled. "Come on, Doc. You are quite secretive yourself. Practice before you preach. Open up. You have to set an example for your patients."

Maya was effectively cornered. She couldn't refuse him information on herself if that is what she seeked from him. He could simply ignore her talking and do whatever he wanted in his sessions. And it wouldn't be the first time a patient shut down. But instead of being cagey, he was actually offering her a fair deal. She knew she couldn't reveal much about herself- her past was not suitable coffee table conversation- but there were some things she could talk about.

"Ok Bruce. You win. You can do me." Maya smirked, and added "But the only thing we'll be doing is word associations"

* * *

Word association. That was quite tricky. And Bruce was pretty sure the sly brunette sitting in front of him was a master at this. But he didn't mind telling her something about himself, if he got to know a little about her. Of course, he couldn't let slip anything about certain issues like his temper issues, or his greener self. And the games like word association, where you have to say the first word that comes to your mind, made you forget discretion. It was a little bit like drinking. Bruce sighed internally. Another thing he should probably be avoiding. But he couldn't.

"We both get five words each before the turn is passed to the other person. No dawdling, no thinking. Ok?" Maya stated the rules for his benefit. Bruce nodded in agreement.

Let the games begin.

Maya started. "Food"

That was easy. Bruce answered. "Tasty"

Next, was "Home"

That was a little tougher. "Safe", He said quickly.

"Discipline"

"Always"

Maya smiled at him and said, "Good answers. Very…. non-specific."

Bruce smiled back. "I wasn't going for that."

Maya laughed huskily. "Somehow, I'm not able to buy your oh-so-innocent routine Bruce. I don't think you're innocent at all." That one line, and its delivery, was enough to distract Bruce from the game. His mind moved to thoughts involving her and what she thought about him. Most people viewed him as an absent minded middle aged professor who had some massive anger issues. She was the first one who was actually calling him… well, naughty.

And in the crucial moments when he was distracted, she attacked him with a volley of questions.

"Secrecy" She asked.

"Tough" He answered without thinking.

"Work"

"Careful"

* * *

Maya had finally gotten a glimpse into her elusive patient. If secrecy was tough, then he definite wasn't any agent, official or in any way related to S.H.I.E.L.D's staff or missions. So he was an outsider. That was so weird. How was everyone scared of him then? Maybe he was a retired guy, who was back… No, he was too young to have retired in any way. He felt more like a recruit, a powerful addition to S.H.I.E.L.D, who everyone wanted to please. And work made him say careful, so maybe he was a weapons developer. Or a guy who experimented on nuclear missiles. Or something like that…

Before she could further analyse the words, he was busy asking her the questions.

"Speed"

Maya grinned. "Fast"

"Helicarrier"

"Job"

Bruce paused. Then he asked "Last name?"

Maya was surprised. The questioning lilt of his question made her realise that he actually wanted to know her last name. She knew she didn't know much about him, but it never struck her how little he knew about her. He must be shy, or disliking gossip, because her last name was not exactly a secret.

"Saxena"

Bruce's eyebrows flew up. She grinned inwardly. People were never able to guess where she was from, and only when they heard her surname, they realised she came from India. It was even more funny since she had met Bruce in Calcutta- God, had it just been a few days ago? - and still he hadn't guessed. Her fair skin and green eyes made it difficult to recognise her origins.

He went on. "Comfort"

She was quick to answer that. "Bean Bags"

Bruce's next question was a little surprising. "Why", he simply said.

Maya could only answer with one statement. "Why not?"

Bruce was a little taken aback. He had met her in India, and yet he didn't understand that she was from there. Now that he looked at her, he realised that her faint tan, perfect skin, and long, thick, dark hair were her heritage. And so, it seemed, was her sunniness. What an answer she gave. Why not, indeed.

She seemed to have relaxed a bit after his first volley and seemed to lean back further into the bean bags. She was crossing and uncrossing her legs, but Bruce tried to ignore the movement for the sake of his own sanity.

She started off. "Color"

Bruce said the first thing that popped into his mind. "Green"

"Music"

"Fun"

"Women"

"Legs" Bruce realised what he had said. He felt his cheeks heat. Don't look at her legs, Don't look at her legs, Don't… It was no use. His eyes were adamant. He glanced down and looked his fill, unable to stop himself from admiring their smooth length. And when he looked up at Maya, she was grinning.

"I don't think I need psychoanalysis to understand what you were thinking, Bruce". Bruce's cheeks were actually burning. He had messed up royally. So much for not revealing everything about himself.

Maybe he should apologise? Or just let it go? She was still grinning, and didn't continue with her word game. Bruce prayed- Oh god, send some distraction that eclipse this entire embarrassing episode.

Suddenly, the door burst open. "Hello people! It's an emergency. I need treatment for my awesomeness. Help me, Doctor Sex-ena!"

Bruce couldn't believe god worked so fast.

Maya got up from her bean bag. Bruce also rose to face the rude intruder. "And who are you?" Maya asked, her arms crossed. But Bruce recognised him before he could answer.

Tony Stark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's lots of chemistry and fireworks in store for Bruce and Maya. And the rest of the avengers are on their way to heat up the action.


	9. Anonymity

"You're kidding me, right." Tony looked mortally offended at Maya's question. "You don't know who I am?"

"Well, I know we haven't met before. I'd remember meeting someone like  _you_ " Maya replied.

"I know, honey. I'm impossible to forget." Tony said, wagging his eyebrows for greater effect.

"Not in a good way, mister. Just tell me who you are" Maya couldn't help but feel a little annoyed- scratch that- very annoyed at this intruder.

"I'm Tony Stark"

No reaction.

"The Tony Stark." Tony said for emphasis.

Maya sighed. "I guess you must be famous. And closely related to some highly classified projects. Mr Stark, I'm afraid I've never heard of you at all."

Bruce was stupefied. This woman made her business in world secrets, and she didn't know the man who any 6-year-old could recognise? Was she joking?

Maya didn't look like she was kidding. She gave a long suffering sigh and walked upto her oriental table. She settled in the swivel chair behind her table, and gestured to Tony.

"Have a seat, Mr Stark. You, too, Bruce. This concerns you too."

Maya started to explain everything to the two men in front of her.

"I am a psychiatrist. My objectivity is my biggest asset. And often, S.H.I.E.L.D asks me to deal with people who are… well-known, for several reasons. How would I be objective then? If I had read news reports on a person, how would I be free from prejudice? Wouldn't I judge him? The whole point of therapy is defeated. Tomorrow, even if a national hero walks in, I shouldn't treat him like a national hero. The only way I can help him get better is if I spoke to him like he was regular guy."

Tony scoffed at her logic. "Doctor, sometimes the national heroes was to be treated like national heroes. That's why they became one"

But Bruce understood. Wasn't his anonymity the reason why he agreed to this? Wasn't her objectivity, her understanding, and her composure part of the reason why he felt better? Of course, part of it was his admiration for her legs.

Maya continued as if Tony hadn't spoken. "When I was offered a job at S.H.I.E.L.D, it was explained how I might handle high profile cases, people who have already been dissected to pieces by the media, fans, haters, family, friends… everyone. If I truly wanted to make a difference here, I had to be ignorant of certain issues."

Bruce interjected. "It sounds like a great theory, Maya. But how is it practicable? Knowing S.H.I.E.L.D, anybody could be your patient. You can't shut yourself from all information."

Tony also jumped in. "Not to mention, it's the 21st century. Even if you stop reading the newspaper, you can't escape the internet. You do a google search about flowers, you might stumble across some psychotropic drug's evil inventor that you weren't supposed to know about."

Maya smiled. "The answer is in your question, Mr Stark. It's the 21st century. Its easy cake to censor someone's phone to redirect them when they try to access a page they shouldn't. The only difference between me and other people is that I agreed to S.H.I.E.L.D's intervention." She grinned at their dumbstruck expressions. "Yeah, even the holy internet's sanctity has been breached now. But S.H.I.E.L.D only protects the public from what they need to be shielded, I assure you."

Bruce was surprised. Not because S.H.I.E.L.D censored the internet, (He didn't put that past S.H.I.E.L.D) but because of something else he was realizing. He hadn't thought about what Maya had to give up to do what she was doing. He thought his life had too much of S.H.I.E.L.D's interference? Maya was practically living in an ivory tower constructed by S.H.I.E.L.D. And that to, by her choice.

Maya seemed to be enjoying their surprise. "Yes, you understood right. I can't read the newspaper. I can't access some sections of the internet. And even though S.H.I.E.L.D is subtle about it, I know that they keep a very close watch on me."

"To make sure you follow their weird rules?" Tony asked.

"Partly. Also, to make sure I'm all right, and be sure I haven't gone rogue." Bruce's surprise must have been apparent on his face, because she looked at him and seemed to explain herself. "I hold more ammo against S.H.I.E.L.D than 10 rogue agents combined. So I understand their apprehension. After all, they give me so much freedom in my job. S.H.I.E.L.D has never tried to interfere in the actual therapy of any patient. So I've learnt to live with their rules, and made sure they follow mine."

Bruce was amazed by her positive attitude. She knew how to accept the unchangeable, and have the guts to change everything else. He started to understand how this woman could make broken men whole again. She was Balance incarnate.

But Tony hadn't bought her explanation. "Are you trying to tell me that you don't know me just 'cause you didn't read about me? Don't you talk to people? People talk about me all the time."

Maya raised her eyebrows. "I don't think anyone, apart from you, talks about you all the time." Bruce had to suppress his grin. "I can hold normal conversations. If some topic comes up, and I don't know anything about it, people just assume in rusty with current affairs. And even that doesn't happen often. S.H.I.E.L.D only censors info on people that have a very high probability of coming in my contact. That's probably why I don't know you, Mr Stark. And that's why it was possible to grant you anonymity, Bruce."

"But it's not a fool proof system, Maya. It doesn't account for actually meeting someone you're not supposed to know about." Bruce said, smiling a little.

Maya laughed outright. "Yes, Bruce. That was a loophole. But it seems S.H.I.E.L.D had a backup plan for that, too. They pulled me out of India the moment I spoke to you."

"Hold on a moment. You don't know anything about Bruce, too?" Tony's eyes lit up with a mischievous gleam. "Dr Banner here, is the foremost authority on Gamma Radiation in the world. And I'm a big fan of how he turns-" "That's enough, Tony." Said Bruce, sharply, loudly. He could feel the blood flow too fast in his veins, his ears roar with unreasonable anger. How dare this irreverent man destroy whatever friendship he had with Maya by his banter? How dare he-

"Mr Stark, you barged in my office uninvited. But since you were distressed about how I didn't recognise you, I entertained you for some time. Instead of being grateful of the courtesy Bruce and I showed you, you are being obnoxious. Next time you want a meeting with a therapist, take an appointment. You can leave now." Maya said. Her voice was deadly calm, but her eyes blazed in anger, the growing fiery green with the heat of her fury.

"Aww... Doc Sex-ena, I was just kidding-" Tony started. "Leave NOW, Mr Stark"

Tony looked shell-shocked at Maya's angry outburst. Muttering "kidding" and "overreaction" under his breath, he walked out and slammed the door behind him.

Bruce was so engrossed by Maya's anger that he had forgotten his own.

A/N: This was a really important chapter for the story. I finally got around to explaining why Maya didn't know about Bruce, and how she fulfils the anonymity clause. I think I wrapped it up pretty well… tell me if I left any loopholes.

Isn't the Maya- Tony thing the best! She's got the better of him this time, but you know Tony ;-) He can get under anyone's skin, just give him some more time.

 


	10. Reverse Psychology

Bruce was stressed. Motormouth Stark had struck- and though he had not revealed anything substantial, Bruce knew that Maya needed just a hint to uncover his secrets. And she had several hints now.

But a bigger problem was at hand. Maya's anger.

Bruce had met Tony Stark on the Helicarrier just before his session, and had quickly realized that the media had underrated the man's intelligence, and arrogance. Tony was so self-assured that it never struck him that others may not be. And that often led to an unpleasant first impression. But due to his philanthropy and fame, people tended to ignore his faults, and eventually, he grew on them. Maya, unfortunately had no background on Tony, so the only basis for her opinion was Tony's bad behaviour. Ergo, Maya angry.

"Can you believe that man?" Maya asked Bruce, letting her anger be on full display. "Who does he think he is? Behaving in that abysmal manner, rude and arrogant…" Maya vented out her ire against Tony, but  _not_  because she was truly angry. She vented out against Tony because she had realised that Bruce was. Though she hardly appreciated Mr Stark's behaviour, it was not bad enough to make _her_ lose control. The only reason she showed so much anger-and threw him out unceremoniously- was Bruce. She had seen what men looked like just before they lost control. One glance at Bruce, and she had realised what he was on the edge.

So instead of trying to calm him down, she let herself get really angry, so that he tries to calm her down, and forgets his own anger. It was sneaky, but it was infinitely more effective than giving some silly advice on anger management.

And anyway, while he 'calms' her down, she had a few questions to ask Mr- No, Dr Banner.

'Maya, look, he's not that bad… He's just used to being obnoxious…' Bruce started, trying to explain Tony's behaviour.

'Not that bad! How can you defend him?'

Bruce tried to explain without giving too many details. "Tony Stark has money, fame and some special  _talents_  that make everyone love him, so people learn to live with his shortcomings' said Bruce, hoping Maya wouldn't cause him to reveal any more specifics.

No such luck.

'A weak stomach is a shortcoming. A short temper is a shortcoming. But having the maturity of six-year-old is just an annoyance. I mean, did you see that? The moment he realised you have a secret, he immediately tried to reveal it! How childish!' Maya wasn't convinced yet, which meant Bruce had to go into the specifics. Oh well, there were some things that he could divulge, to convince Maya that Tony had his heart in the right place.

'Maya, do you know what is really going on on this ship?' asked Bruce.

'I know that there this a level seven emergency, that a dangerous fugitive is on the loose, and the world is in grave danger.'

'Those are the basics, Maya. The details are very complex, and the odds are unsurmountable if normal defence strategies are used. That's why S.H.I.E.L.D has brought together some people who have special talents, to fight this battle. Tony is one of those people, who is risking his life to save the world.'

'Are you one of those people, Bruce?' Maya asked. Bruce quickly clarified, 'Oh no, I haven't been brought because of my  _special skills_. I'm just here to run some experiments and then be on my way.'

'Are you sure about that? Are you sure you won't need your special talents? Are you sure you'll be able to leave this group- our saviours, as you call them, when your individual role is over?' Maya asked him, her eyes on his.

Bruce was stunned. He knew that S.H.I.E.L.D had many motives in bringing him on board the ship, but he was very confident that he wouldn't deviate from his role as a scientist. He would do his job and leave, ignoring their attempts to recruit him. What he had never considered was that he wouldn't want to leave.

Maya looked at him, and said, 'I don't think you'll leave, Bruce'

Bruce sighed. 'Don't be too sure, Maya. You don't know me'

Maya continued. 'Correct me if I am wrong- You're a scientist, or weapons expert, and you have been called on the helicarrier to locate the fugitive or whatever he was carrying. But there is something else about you that makes people wary of you. So you may not intend to use any special powers, but you surely have them. How close am I, Dr Bruce Banner?' She rattled off her deductions in her usual calm manner, as casually as reading a lunch menu. Sitting in her swivel chair behind her ornamental table, Maya looked every bit the dependable therapist she was. That is, she would have, if she weren't wearing her red shorts, and didn't have a twinkle in her eyes. Bruce felt he had lost the controls to her, and at the same time he didn't feel like he needed to control anything anymore.

'You got me, Maya.'

'Don't worry, Bruce. You can trust me. I am a really good secret keeper.'

'I know, Maya.' But silently, Bruce thought -Can he trust her to be the same when she knows his secrets?

Late at night, Bruce was at his lab, analysing the latest problem handed to him- Loki's sceptre. Whistling to himself, he ran a couple of programs to identify the radiation signature of the sceptre. Loki was safely captured, and the sceptre was in their control. All that was needed was to be done was to locate the Tesseract. Then he was free to go back to his life. Bruce sighed. Suddenly, going away did not hold much appeal. He thought about Maya's words about his role in this mission. He thought about Maya's belief in his conscience. He thought about Maya, period. She was on his mind, and he had started to suspect she was gonna stay there permanently.

Much to Bruce's surprise, the doors to the lab opened. And in came Tony Stark.

'Hey there, Dr Banner.' He seemed much calmer than he was in the therapist's room. Bruce wondered if it was the effect of the telling off he got.

'Hey Tony… Dr Banner sounds a bit formal, and unnecessary. Call me Bruce.'

'Just like Dr Sex-ena does?' said Tony, winking at Bruce. Well, the telling off hadn't worked, it seemed.

'It's Dr Saxena, Tony, as you very well know. What are you doing here?'

'I'm helping out'

'I'm not too sure about what 'help' you'll give, Tony.'

'Oh don't worry, Doc. We'll get along just fine.' said Tony, grinning. And call him a fool, but Bruce was starting to believe that.


	11. Moksha

"So, Dr Banner, what do you think?" asked a grinning Tony. His level of casualness was better suited to talk over the weather, not breaking federal laws by spying on government agencies.

Tony had joined them at the helicarrier to help, but his definition of help was a bit more lax. He suspected the organisation was up to no good, and was hiding from them the real reasons why they had the Tesseract.

Bruce too, was not without his doubts on S.H.I.E.L.D, but had supressed his thoughts in favour of expediting his work, and getting out of the helicarrier. But Tony's words acted like a catalyst to the change that Maya was bringing in his attitude towards his role at S.H.I.E.L.D. Suddenly, it seemed more important to know  _why_  he was locating the Tesseract, than blindly locating it.

"I don't think my opinion will make a difference to your plans, Tony. I know you will unearth what you want to." Said Bruce, secretly hoping that Tony would do some research and help him to ease his own fears.

"Come on, Bruce, voice your opinions. You shouldn't keep your feelings bottled up. That's what makes you so- frustrated. That's why you run for Maya's  _help_  so often." Said Tony, chuckling at his innuendo, as he continuously typed into his screen, already well on his way to cracking the S.H.I.E.L.D's systems.

"For your information, I was coerced into taking sessions with Dr Saxena, Tony."

"Yeah, I'm sure they practically had to handcuff you with the beautiful doctor. It must be so  _hard_  on you."

"I'm not going to pretend I hate going for the sessions, but I was just saying… Oh, let it be. Your mind is always in the gutter. How does Pepper tolerate you?" said Bruce, hoping to distract Tony from the topic of Maya.

"Oh Bruce, Pepper loves my guttery mind." Said Tony, smiling a very real smile, without any hint of a smirk.

"I'm glad, for her sake." Said Bruce. It hadn't escaped his notice that, despite his playboy ways, Tony's smile was very sincere when Pepper was mentioned.

"That's the key to every man's happiness, Bruce. Finding a woman who doesn't just tolerate his quirks, but enjoys them." Said Tony, in a superior tone, like he had unlocked the secret to nirvana.

"Some men's quirks are a bit more difficult to enjoy than others, Tony"

"Some women are more than what you expect them to be, Bruce. Never forget that."

* * *

"Do you know what Moksha is?" Maya asked Bruce at their session, the next day. Today he was settled on the sofa, with Maya sitting next to him. She was wearing a yellow sundress, with golden bangles adorning her wrist, and an anklet around her right ankle. Her feet were bare.

"Moksha? Isn't it some religious concept in Hinduism?" Bruce asked.

"Yes and no. It is a concept in Hinduism. But it is also spiritual concept in several Asian cultures. It means freedom from the cycle of rebirth." elaborated Maya, crossing and uncrossing her legs.

"Freedom from rebirth?" asked Bruce. Apparently, rebirth, and having several lives was not good enough anymore.

"Yes. It is believed that a soul takes birth several thousands of times, as several creatures, and only after these lives does it get the opportunity of human birth. And in this birth, man can truly make choices, and do something so extraordinary, that his sins become insignificant, and he attains ultimate freedom." Maya spoke easily, as if she knew this like the back of her hand.

"So no hope for the ones who have sinned pretty badly?" asked Bruce, trying to keep a light tone, but feeling very interested in the subject.

"Oh, it's not like that. No sin is too big. And everyone's way of achieving moksha is different. Some do it through penance, some through meditation. There was even a story about a demon who said the name of God in his last breath, and through that simple act he attained freedom from the cycle of life and death." Maya explained.

"That doesn't seem very fair. Sucks for the people who went through years of penance. Even they should have just waited till their last breath and then just gotten it in a word." said Bruce, laughing at the flaw in the logic.

Maya smiled. "Ah, but Bruce, therein lies the difference between equality, and justice. Even uttering god's name was an epiphany for the demon. The man who meditated for many years exerted no greater an effort. But they were made differently, so they had to do different things. The most important thing was their attempt to go against the flow, against their nature and conquering the most important thing in the world- Yourself."

Bruce felt oddly calmed by her explanation. It seemed fair the way she put it. Everyone had different challenges to face. And their virtues must be judged on the basis of the burden they bore. The concept was a balm to his battered self-control. It felt nice that he was probably getting credit for his efforts to control his green urges.

"Why the discourse on moksha? Are you gonna help me achieve it, Maya?" said Bruce, his eyes crinkling in mischief.

Maya scooted right next to Bruce. "I don't think you could handle it, Bruce. You have to give up worldly desires- as they are all considered illusions to distract us- to attain Moksha. And you know what illusion is called in Hindi?"

Bruce was transfixed by both her words and her nearness. "What is it called?"

She leaned towards him and answered- "It's called Maya"

Electricity raced along Bruce's skin, and his lips tingled. She had leaned so close, that he could count her eyelashes.

"Moksha is not for me then. I can't let go of Maya" said Bruce. Maya gave him a brilliant smile. He was very aware of the precious few inches between their faces. So close, and yet the distance between them was unsurmountable. She was young, beautiful, with a destiny full of stars, while his life was a rut, an unsalvageable mess. He could close the gap between their lips, but how would he close the gap between their fates?

Moments passed, and Maya leaned back. Bruce felt the pain of wanting and never having. Unable to look at her, he glanced at his watch, and saw the time. "Well, Dr Saxena, it seems our hour is up. I think I should probably leave." said Bruce, with a heavy heart.

"Not Dr Saxena. I'm Maya. I'm always Maya for you, Bruce." said Maya, and suddenly, put her arms around him. Bruce froze. She was hugging him! And it felt like he was wrapped in heaven. Her body was soft, delicate and her hair had a light vanilla fragrance. Her arms, one around his shoulder and one around his waist, held him like he was… a treasured man. A loved man. Slowly, he put his arms around her, returning her embrace, and breathed in the scent of her hair. His body sang with the feel of her against him.

Time passed. Bruce couldn't say whether it had been hours, or moments. He felt at peace. And ironically, holding  _Maya_  in his arms, he felt like he had attained Moksha.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Isn't Bruce adorable! And too noble, if you ask me. But Maya will make her place in his heart, and his life. I was listening to this piece on the piano called "River flows in you" while writing this and the words just flowed. Hope you liked it
> 
> The parts about Moksha (pronounced Moe-kh-sh) are true. It is an actual concept in Hinduism, and is as commonly known in its culture as the concept of heaven in other cultures.


	12. Explode

With Loki in captivity, Bruce knew his task had become singular. Locate the Tesseract. And yet, Tony's arrival and his own conflicting thoughts about this mission made it very difficult for him to focus. It became all the more important for him to wrap up the day's lab work, because he couldn't afford to become agitated. And the only thing that kept him going was his evening appointment with Maya.

Tony was working next to him, chomping down on his blueberries, with an aura of supreme nonchalance. Bruce envied him in a way. Tony's attitude always kept him relaxed. And even in the face of odds that would crush an ordinary man, Tony had his head in the game.

Even now, he was multitasking. The search for the Tesseract was on, but Tony was running his own parallel hacking to break into S.H.I.E.L.D's servers and get the info on what they were really up to.

Unfortunately for Bruce, Tony's multitasking included irreverent jibes towards his anger management issues.

Tony poked him with a shock stick. "Ow!" The pain was not too much, but the sudden move had Bruce taken aback. Tony looked at him, disappointed. "Nothing?"

Just then Captain America walked in. "Hey! Are you nuts?" Steve seemed to be upset over Tony's antics.

Tony wasn't fazed at all. "You really have got a lid on it, haven't you? What's your secret? Mellow jazz? Bongo drums? Huge bag of weed?" He asked Bruce, in his usual flippant manner. That didn't go down too well with Steve though. He and Tony started an argument about Bruce's issues again. Bruce tried to tune out their squabbling.

He knew the Captain was a good man. A decent man. He was a great leader, but the soldier in him made him follow orders without question. Bruce didn't want to engage in the mission, but he knew that if the Steve and Tony put their minds together, then they would be unstoppable. But they had no common ground. Chalk and cheese. So each had no trust on the other. They continued to argue.

But the argument soon changed directions, and Tony started voicing his questions about S.H.I.E.L.D's intentions to the Captain. Bruce wanted to stay out of the discussion but Tony alluded to the Steve that he, too, had suspicions. And when Steve asked him, Bruce couldn't lie. The Captain seemed shaken by his approval of Tony's hacking. Bruce could sense that his admission had moved the Captain into action. And when Steve left the room, Bruce had a feeling of foreboding. He couldn't help but think- this is not going the end the way I thought it would.

Obviously, Fury had gotten wind of Tony's hacking activities. But his confrontation lost its impact, as the word was out. S.H.I.E.L.D was using the Tesseract to build weapons. Steve had actually gone and found the weapons, and Tony had extracted the information right from the S.H.I.E.L.D's servers. Thor, Natasha, Fury, Tony, Steve…. All the yelling was getting to him. And it didn't help that they all looked at him like he was a monster. THEY brought him here, forcing him to endanger people's lives, and HE was the monster? It didn't help that the cell that contained Loki was built for him. Even after all the rejections he faced in life, all the ostracism that he bore, it truly was painful to hear that an intergalactic criminal was small pie compared to what he turned into- what he was.

His thoughts threatened to overtake him, and his arguments were loud enough to make everyone quake in their boots. Despite his moroseness, Bruce forced himself into an eerie calm. Hah! They were underestimating him, it took way more than-

The Helicarrier exploded. Natasha and he fell two floors down. She said something insignificant, trying to pacify him. She, she was trying to pacify him! She brought him here, to this freak show, and forced him to face something he spent years avoiding- Himself. She had no right….

And everything went green.

Maya was in her room, doing her daily yoga routine. She was halfway through Pranayama, the breathing exercises, and yet she wasn't feeling her usual calmness. A storm was brewing… She could feel it. But she continued, and instead focussed her thoughts on her schedule for the day. Yoga now, then continue her research on American slang in the 40's to help understand the Captain better in his next appointment, then finish her paperwork on her expenses filed for her last holiday. The one in Calcutta, where she met Bruce.

She started to sigh, then caught herself, and continued her breathing exercise. Bruce. Dr Bruce Banner. Why was she so attracted to him? Why did she feel so… tender? It was totally inappropriate, and unexpected. She spent several hours with Captain America, the man who was as sweet as he was handsome. But apart from respect for the Captain, and her wish to see him happy and well-settled, she felt nothing for him. She barely even thought about him. And that was despite Phil's constant needling for info on the good captain.

She knew nothing about secretive Bruce Banner. Did she like him cause of the mystery? Was she just feeling… curiosity? God, she hoped not. If she turned out to be a mystery groupie, she just wouldn't be able to handle Director Fury. She snorted at her own joke, disrupting her breathing exercises again.

Yoga was a lost cause. So she decided to call quits and move to her office, and get started on her 40's research. She got up and changed into her "work" clothes. She wasn't required to follow the dress code for agents, as all black tended to make her clients nervous, or gloomy. So she put on her grey skinny jeans, and purple tank top. She threw on a deep green pashmina stole, an old one previously owned by her mother. She wore her sober black kitten heels to lend a semblance of formality to her outfit. She stopped in front of the mirror, spent a couple of extra minutes primping her hair. Not because she was seeing Bruce later, she told herself, but because she just wanted to do something with her hair. She combed it, and left it in loose waves. Suddenly she remembered how Bruce had stoked her hair and breathed in its scent when she had impulsively hugged him in their last session.

No, she told herself. That was a mistake. He was sweet and cute, but he was a client. A patient. It was her job to help him, not grope him. Objectivity. That was essential in her life. She shouldn't cross some lines. Even if he actually crosses them with her (unlikely) what can come of it? She doesn't even know what he does for a living (and knowing he works with S.H.I.E.L.D, it could be anything). Could she open herself to something so unpredictable? Should she? Should he?

She decided against letting her hair down, literally. She quickly ties her hair in a secure ponytail. That's much better, she thought. Bet it's tight enough to withstand an explosion.

Little did she know that the universe took her bet.

Maya had barely reached in her office when she heard an explosion. And she knew that things had gone out of control. The helicarrier did not just get bombed. She felt panic, for her friends, for Phil, for all the other agents she knew and for the entire Helicarrier. What if the entire thing blew up….Not her job, she convinced herself, and clamped down on the panic.

She locked herself in her office and got to work. She knew that despite her physical fitness and basic combat skills, she would only be in the way during a crisis. She had been briefed about this possibility beforehand. Her job was not to be a hero. Her job was to play dumb and prevent capture.

She opened her desk drawer and whipped out her emergency contact device. It was already flashing. She checked the code and froze. BEAH. Burn everything and hide. Which basically meant that the helicarrier had been compromised. Ignoring her quaking hands and errant thoughts of being captured and tortured, she got to work. All documents, all videos, all electronic records and all evidences of her position at S.H.I.E.L.D and her clients were strategically destroyed. She instead filled her laptop with false documents of accounts and finances of S.H.I.E.L.D. Her instructions on capture were to pretend to be an accountant, a mandatory government appointed one, which S.H.I.E.L.D kept around, but didn't really trust. She had never used her identity, and she fervently hoped it wouldn't be used today either.

Once her clean-up work was done, she picked up her emergency contact device and waited for further instructions. None came. She didn't know whether that was a good sign of bad.

Suddenly, she heard an animalistic roar, and unwittingly, she thought of Bruce.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updating real soon!


	13. Out of your league

Against her instincts, Maya was waiting in her office, doing nothing, hiding. Without knowing what she was hiding from. Without knowing whether anything, anyone would be left to run to once the dust settled. She had always been a believer in non-violence, but non-action was not her thing. She didn't want to mess up things by jumping in the action, but she found it extremely difficult to just wait. She knew the S.H.I.E.L.D rules- she was just a civilian, with the some training and some negotiation skills, but basically an asset that they wished to protect, not to use in combat. She had been told this, when she was hired, and at the time, she had agreed with their vision for her. But after years of working with shield, and helping a lot of people here, it became very difficult to just save herself, and let everyone else burn. Maya took a deep breath, and ignored the sounds coming from the helicarrier, and stopped her thoughts from becoming a muddle. She needed to reason out her next move.

She did not have a hero complex. Hell, she was the one who helped people heal from a hero complex. So her want to go out and help did not stem from a misguided sense of heroism. Things may not go her way. At best, she would be able to help out her friends and co-workers, by putting together the helicarrier, caring for the injured, or kicking butt of some non-trained bad guys. At worst, she would be captured by the enemy. Of course, there were lots of things in between these two extremes, like the helplessness, injury or death (death was certainly preferable to capture in Maya's book). Maya considered the possibilities.

But what would she achieve sitting in the office? If the helicarrier was completely compromised, she would be captured anyways, and there was a good chance that the enemy would glean her many secrets. If the helicarrier was destroyed, she too would go down with it. She looked at her emergency contact device again. It was still flashing the same code. Either things had not worsened (unlikely, considering the sounds of gunfire and yelling), or things were so bad, that Phil was not able to send her any further instructions. That did not sit well with her.

She had to get out. If there was a chance she could help, she should. She may not battle, but she could plan. Or negotiate. She could offer her skills, and maybe, do her bit.

* * *

HULK ANGRY! HULK NO LIKE THIS METAL PLACE AND SHORT RED HAIR. HULK WANT TO SMASH. HULK WANT TO SEE SKY!

WHY PUNY PEOPLE NO SENSE? BRING HULK HERE AMONG OTHER PUNY. HULK WANTS TO SEE ONLY BIG PEOPLE. AND LONG BROWN HAIR.

* * *

Maya stepped out of her office, and peered into the corridor. It was deserted as ever. She thanked S.H.I.E.L.D for putting her in the creepy wing. Her plan was to travel through the less important areas of the helicarrier, till the infirmary. There she could pretend to be a nurse, and get in touch with Phil, or the Director and offer her help. If her skills were needed, she would move from there. Or else, she could just stay there and help the injured. She was a doctor after all. So it was a win-win.

She had a stun gun, and a small knife with her. But she knew that in the face of a skilled enemy, she was easy pie. So she kept to the shadows, and hoped to reach her destination without being spotted. The areas with the labs, the holding cells, the armoury and the central controls were the most dangerous and susceptible to attack. So she steered clear of them and went through the maintenance areas and living quarters, a much longer route to reach the infirmary. She had to stop and turn twice, because some areas had caved in, but luckily, she managed to avoid anyone who wanted to harm her.

She entered the nurse's locker room. She put on scrubs and entered the infirmary through the locker room entrance. The number of injured people was high, but not as high as she feared. So the destruction was limited to one area, and the number of infiltrators must be few and focussed on one object, not the whole helicarrier. She definitely made a good decision getting here. She was not at risk today.

Nurse Carrie, an old patient of Maya's, who had recurring nightmares after a particularly bad stint in a hospital in Nigeria, was the head nurse on duty. And she noticed Maya the moment she entered. She left her patient with another nurse and rushed to Maya's side. She pulled Maya to the edge of the room, near the glass wall facing the sky outside and spoke. "Dr Saxena, what are you doing here?"

Maya quickly gave her a run-down of her plan, "Carrie, I had to leave my office. I knew something was wrong, and I came to offer my help, in any way I can. My office is sanitized, so I'm not at risk. Tell me what you know about our situation."

Nurse Carrie gave her the short version of everything. "We were attacked by a group of people mind controlled by a criminal on board. They wanted to free him and steal weapons, I think. The helicarrier was bombed, and we were losing height, but Ironman and Captain America were doing something about it. There is still a lot of commotion in the west wing, so we definitely have some dangerous elements on board."

Maya was tensed. There was a lot going on that she didn't understand, owing to her "special" rules as therapist. "Who is Ironman, Carrie?"

Carrie was going to have an apoplexy. "Who is Iro-?" she sputtered. "Dr Saxena, you can't be serious… I forgot who I was talking to. Now is not the time for being ignorant, Dr Saxena. You HAVE to know about the avengers. You will not be able to function otherwise. It's not the time for privacy or therapy! Your ignorance will put you at risk! You need to know the good guys from the bad!" Carrie was flabbergasted.

Maya didn't know what to say. She knew that Carrie was talking sense, and that the privacy agreement was not feasible now, but it felt like a betrayal to S.H.I.E.L.D to get information on concealed parties without getting a nod from her superiors.

"I need to talk to Phil. Or Director Fury. Help me out, Carrie." Maya asked Carrie, who was still a bit shaken by Maya's ignorance. Carrie nodded, and said, "Let me try, Doc." She pulled out her emergency contact device which, unlike Maya's, was able to send messages and establish contact with her superiors as well as receive instructions. She typed in her code and luckily, was able to get the Director himself. "Nurse Carrie, I trust that this is something important" came a gruff response from the other end of the device, with Director Fury's voice muffled by loud crashes and animalistic roaring. Maya spoke up. "It's Dr Saxena here, Director."

"Dr Saxena, why are you with Nurse Carrie AND NOT IN YOUR OFFICE?" bellowed Fury, sounding well, furious.

"Director, I guessed what was happening. I needed to help out in any way I cou-"

"Dr Saxena, what would you do if you were killed by a rogue? What would WE do if you were- DON'T SHOOT FOOL, WE NEED TO CALM HIM DOWN!"

"Director, this is exactly what I thought! My skills may come of some use! Let me come there! I may be able to help someone calm down!"

"Maya, this is out of your league" Director Fury proclaimed. Maya was surprised at the finality in his tone. She had grown used to the trust that he placed in her decisions.

"Director, when have I ever failed yo-"

"Just look out the window, Dr Saxena"

Maya glanced outside the glass wall of the infirmary, and saw something that almost stopped her heart. There was a freefalling fighter jet outside, with an extremely terrified pilot in the cockpit. On top of the plane there was a huge green muscular guy, who was trying to smash the plane with his bare fists. And he was buck ass nude.

Maya couldn't believe her eyes.

"Believe me when I saw that this was out of your league, Dr Saxena" came Director Fury's voice. "And read everything we have on the Avengers initiative."

* * *


	14. Rubble

Bruce woke up in the middle of a pile of rubble. And it was a pain in the butt. Literally. It took him only a few moments to realise what- or who- was the cause of him being in the middle of nowhere, totally naked, surrounded by wreckage. He covered his head in his hands and groaned.

 

“Are you OK there son?” An aged security guard peered at him from atop a pile of rubble. Bruce wasn’t exactly thrilled to be having this conversation in the nude. But things could have been worse. At least the Hulk didn’t kill the watchman in his smashing frenzy.

 

“Did I hurt anyone?” Bruce wanted to know. Better to know beforehand what damage he had caused.

 

“No. There was no one here to hurt. You did scare the hell out of some pigeons, though.” the watchman replied, and Bruce heaved a sigh of relief. At least he didn’t kill anyone here.

“Lucky…” said Bruce, and wondered if the same could be said about the Helicarrier, and the people inside it.

 

“Or just good aim. You were awake when you fell.” the septuagenarian watchman was surprisingly calm for someone who saw a giant green monster fall out of the sky.

 

“You saw?” Bruce asked for confirmation from the man.

 

“The whole thing, right through the ceiling. Huge and green and buck ass nude.” Bruce wondered what he was more embarrassed of right now, being a homicidal monster, or his continued nudity in front of this elderly guy. So he was pretty thankful when the guy finally offered him some pants. “Here-” he said, throwing a pair of trousers at him, “I didn't think those would fit you until you shrunk down to a regular size fella.”

 

“Thanks” said Bruce, and quickly wore the proffered clothing. Well, at least that was sorted. Now to the little green problem. He wondered what this man would make of it. He wasn’t yelling and running, which in itself made him a rarity. And he had stopped to chat, which made him totally unique.

 

“Are you an alien?” the man asked, in his calm tone, almost as though he expected a yes.

 

“What?” sputtered Bruce, blindsided.

 

“From outer space, an alien?” the man clarified his absurd thought process.

 

“No.” replied Bruce, steeling himself for further questioning.

 

“Well, then, son, you’ve got a condition” said the guard, in his level tone. Bruce almost smiled at his practical, and unusual demeanour. Or was this usual, and the people he had met were too dramatic? He always felt running, or attacking him with guns and grenades was pretty natural, considering what he became. Not great for him, of course, but that was how he expected it to be. In fact, with this incident, he had probably made an enemy of the Avengers, and S.H.I.E.L.D. Whatever camaraderie he had with Tony and Natasha and- he swallowed- and Maya was probably destroyed forever. And that was the best case scenario. The worst case involved dead people, rather than pissed off people. He decided to focus on the best case scenario, for the sake of his own sanity. And decided get himself out of harm’s way. Other people’s harm, that is.

 

Enough of pretending that he belonged with a group of heroes. Enough pretending that he could stay close to people without hurting them. Enough pretending that he could fall in love, and be loved back.

 

Enough pretending that he was still a man.

 

 

Maya’s head was spinning. The information roller coaster that she had just taken had left her reeling. She believed in a lot of supernatural stuff, getting all the insider info of the world’s weirdest happenings at S.H.I.E.L.D. But what she had known was the tip of the iceberg. Tony Stark did seem a lot more likable now (or less likable, if you read the tabloid part of the internet). The beautiful red-haired agent she knew was even more deadly than she looked.

 

And Bruce… That her mind was still processing. If the videos were true (and she was pretty sure they were) then he really had issues. Like giant green issues, and not of the jealousy variety. She didn’t feel as much fear as she knew she should, because she felt she _knew_ him. She didn’t see him as a monster, but as a man. She couldn’t bring herself to worry about what the Hulk could do to her, when she could feel what it must do to Bruce. She could imagine the kind of hopelessness and stress he must be under constantly. He tried to work hard, and create something that would help humanity, and he was punished for his efforts, turned him into something that distanced him from people. Not to mention, the kind of guilt he must feel, and maybe responsibility for his own situation. And how well he concealed it! He had no option but to control his anger, but he wasn’t bitter, rude or condescending. He genuinely listened to people, and still came aboard to find them the tesseract. Despite his hopeless situation, he still became a beacon of hope for others.

 

Before knowing this, Maya felt she liked him. He was sweet, subtly funny and ridiculously attractive. She could feel his complexity and she felt the pull towards him. But now… What she felt for him wasn’t any mere pull. She could feel the tension in her body, the readiness of her mind, the thirst of her senses. All she could think about was him. She was as helpless in the face of the massive attraction she felt for him as iron filings near a giant magnet.

 

Maya had always been a decisive woman. And this time her decision was made.

 

She had to have this man for her herself.

 

 

Bruce stood outside the wreckage of his impromptu landing site. He wondered where he should go. He knew he should create distance between New York and him, but his instincts were screaming at him, telling him to go to Stark Tower, to help, to do something, and not just run away from the showdown. He standing there, trying to quash that instinct, when he heard a noise.

 

It was the puttering of a scooter coming from a distance. A slim figure was visible riding it, with coffee-coloured hair tumbling out of a helmet, flying in the wind like liquid silk. But even before the hair gave her away, Bruce knew in his heart who it was. Who else could be so fearless, to walk into the wreckage of his life, with such innate grace?

 

Despite the magnetic pull that he felt towards her, he couldn’t bear the burden of questions that was sure to fall upon him. Especially so soon after his transformation into the other guy. He blindly turned around and walked back into the abandoned warehouse where he fell, somehow hoping to hide from Maya.

 

But no such luck.

 

Within minutes, even before he could find a good spot to hide himself (the rubble was pretty much all there was there), he heard a soft voice call out, “Bruce?”

 

Bruce turned around and saw her. Standing a few feet away from him, her hair windblown, was Maya. A green scarf around her neck highlighted her stunning green eyes, which were filled with an emotion very different than Bruce was used to seeing after an ‘incident’. It wasn’t fear, revulsion or even curiosity. It was compassion, and something tender that he couldn’t identify. Looking at him almost as if he was a victim, instead of a monster.

 

Maya walked slowly towards him. Bruce couldn’t decide what to say, how to explain himself, how to ask her how much she knew, and how to tell her the rest. She stood right in front of him, and he just stared at her, with his mouth open with unformed words. But before he even said a word, she extended her arm, gently grabbed his hand, and held it in both of her own. And the most absurd words fell out of her mouth. “I’m sorry, Bruce. I’ve broken your trust.”

 

A hysterical laugh fell out of his mouth. “How could _you_ have possibly wronged _me_ Maya?” Bruce asked.

 

Maya looked down at her black heel-y shoes for a moment, looking embarrassed. Then she looked back up and spoke, “I broke my promise to keep your privacy. I read everything about you.”

 

Bruce was paralysed by her words. His hand went limp in hers. _I read everything about you… I read everything about you…_ The phrase kept playing in his mind in a loop. All his dirty secrets, all his crimes that he wanted to keep from her, everything. She knew everything. The one person who he wanted to be normal for, knew exactly how abnormal he was.

 

But she wasn’t running away. She was apologizing for it! As if his privacy needs had any worth now. “Maya, I hardly think that _you_ should be the one to apologize. You aren’t the one that has a monster inside him.”

 

Maya squeezed his hand. “No, Bruce, there is no monster in you. You carry a burden, a burden so enormous, that it would have crushed a normal man. And yet so lightly you tread. The scientific work you did, the medical aid you provided, your gentleness with me… How can you expect me to let you believe that you are a monster?”

 

“What about the destruction I caused, Maya? The danger I pose? How is that not monstrous?” said Bruce, cupping her cheek with his free hand, moved by her words, but unable to believe them.

 

“You didn’t do any of that, Bruce. You didn’t want any of that. You fight against yourself every day to protect people from any danger that you could cause. And despite the censure you face, you still shield people as much as you can. What you are, is nothing less than a hero.” said Maya.

 

Bruce felt torn by her words, feeling guilt at his need to believe them. Bruce let go of her hand and turned around to stare at the rubble. “I created this problem, Maya. It was my experiments that caused the Hulk to be created. Others get hurt because of my mistake.” whispered Bruce, not daring to look her in the eye, while admitting his biggest crime. Fearing that he may have convinced her that he truly was a monster.

 

Maya placed her hand on his shoulder. “Was it a complete mistake, Bruce? Has the Hulk only caused destruction? Don’t forget, Bruce, I read _everything_. I know the good that he did too.” She gently turned him around and placed a hand on each of his shoulders, squeezing a little. He was drunk on her gentle touch and reassuring words, which felt like a balm of his battered heart, making it beat again. “Don’t blame yourself, Bruce. Always remember, there is a higher power at play. There were a thousand ways that your experiments could have gone. But, they caused the Hulk to be created within you. And you alone were handed this mammoth task of taming his untapped, volatile potential, and help the world. The universe has faith in you, Bruce. I have faith in you. But you have to have faith in yourself.” said Maya, her green eyes piercing into his, compelling him to trust her judgement.

 

Could it be? Could this truly be the way it was meant to be? Was the Hulk not a monster, but a potential, that he alone had to learn to use and control. Was this a responsibility? Bruce always felt it was a punishment. Bruce sighed, and smiled slightly. “How are you so convincing, Maya? You are changing my mind about things I’ve spent half my life believing. Is this a therapist thing?” he said, half-teasing, half-nervous, wondering if this was a part of her job description, and he wasn’t the only one she had such tenderness for.

 

Maya’s eyes were twinkling with mischief. The edges of her lips quirked with a small grin. “Oh, didn’t I mention, I’m no longer your therapist.”

 

“W-what? Why not?” asked Bruce. If she wasn’t his therapist, then why was she here? What did he mean to her? His head was spinning with all the possibilities, making him feel lightheaded, while he waited for her to explain.

 

“I violated your privacy agreement, so I am legally and morally obliged to recuse myself from your therapy. I haven’t come here in any professionally binding capacity. And I can’t have any sessions with you from now on.” Maya’s arms moved up his shoulders, and her fingers linked behind his neck. Moving closer to him, she stood up on her toes and whispered, “But now, I’m free to do _this_ -” and she covered his lips with her own.

 

Bruce was frozen in his place for a heartbeat, before the sensation of her soft lips moving against his filled his entire body with burning heat. His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her flush against him, and he kissed her back with enthusiasm- more enthusiasm than she expected apparently, because she made a surprised squeak, and then a whimper, when he nipped her lower lip, and soothed the bite with his tongue. Her hands moved to his hair, fluffing up his already fluffy hair, and produced delightful scalp tingles. He went on kissing her, holding her up against him, and she was almost lifted off her feet. The kiss felt so right, that for the first time in years, Bruce felt no fears, no regret, no pain, only the feel of this amazing woman, pressed up against him.

 

Maya broke away first. She rested her forehead against his, eyes half-closed, and tried to catch her breath, which, Bruce noticed, was very uneven. She smiled and murmured to him, “So I guess you’re okay with me not being your therapist anymore?” Bruce laughed huskily, and replied, “You guessed right, Maya.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TA-DA!! They kissed! I was pretty stoked about this chapter, and I want to hear your thoughts! Review/PM!
> 
> Also, this fanfiction is being translated by Blackie-Noir and it is now available in Spanish, too! Please go to the following link to check it out- https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11098943/1/Ojos-verdes
> 
> I would love to hear your thoughts about the Spanish version too!


	15. De-green

The Avengers fought the battle of New York, and won. But now they had another battle on their hands- To de-green a certain green scientist without making him pulverize the remaining city. But how?

“Maybe we should just let him smash around some more stuff? It clearly makes him happy-It might calm him down” said Tony, standing in an empty warehouse in Upper East Side, where they had managed to corner/cajole Hulk into going. Natasha and Clint had promptly left after getting Hulk there, wanting to go and help Fury in the post-battle political clean-up. Steve and Thor stayed with Tony, wracking their head over their predicament. 

Steve shook his head. “Smashing is only going to keep him that way. There’s no way he’s going to change back mid-punch.” Thor agreed with the captain. “Destruction does not pave the way for peace, my friend.”

Tony grimaced. “You ancient beings have any other ideas? Or are we just gonna keep him this way?” Steve gave him a dry look. “Yeah, didn’t think so. SO, ideas?” Tony saw the blank looks on the faces of his two team mates and sighed. “Right, so we have to call in the expert, then.”

 

“You want me to WHAT?” yelled Maya at Tony. She had been unceremoniously picked up from her safehouse in Brooklyn by a flying Iron Man and was flown to Manhattan with just a four word explanation- Bruce needs your help. And now when she reached their destination (a nondescript warehouse with an eight-foot hole for a door, with very loud noises coming from within) only to realise it wasn’t specifically Bruce who needed her help.

“Maya, we just some pointers on how to calm him down. You’ve already done a lot of it in the past- albeit with Bruce.” said Steve, interrupting Tony’s unhelpful explanation of the situation, “We’ve already tried a lot of things and Dr Banner is nowhere closer to resurfacing.” Steve looked more worn out than Maya had ever seen. His hair was wildly awry, and his suit bore signs of their battle with the aliens (and probably attempts to tussle with the Hulk). Maya had a soft spot for the veteran, but she had no clue how to fulfil his request. What could she suggest? She didn’t even know Bruce could turn into the Hulk till a few hours back! She could end up giving some pretty useless advice.

Still, for Bruce’s sake, she had to try.

 

HULK WANT TO SMASH. PEOPLE ARE PUNY. PUNY ARE WEAK. HULK WANTS STRONG. WHY STUCK WITH CONFUSED PUNIES? HULK WANT TO MEET STRONG.

A STRONG ONE IS HERE! STRONG IS PUNY? BUT HULK KNOWS SHE IS INNER STRONG! PUNIES CAN ALSO BE STONG! SHE IS JUST SITTING. AND MAKING NOISE. HUMMING NOISES. METAL MAN AND HAMMER MAN ALSO HUMMING. THE NOISE IS SOOTHING. HULK WANT TO LISTEN MORE AND SLE…………….

 

Bruce woke up feeling amazingly relaxed. His arms and legs felt as if they were weightless. He could literally float away. He could feel the breeze on his face, his chest, his… 

Great, he was naked again.

“Hey little Bruceykins, nice to see you awake! And you, too, Banner.” said Tony, giggling, hovering over Bruce and making him feel super uncomfortable. But thankfully he handed him a pair of black pants. At least he had friends who had spare clothes in times of emergency.

“So did we win?” asked Bruce, pulling on his pants and then a black tee that Tony gave him.

“Yeah, we did.” Said Steve, with a twinkle in his usually serious eyes. Well, the Hulk must have done something right then, thought Bruce. Or at least not messed things irreparably.

“YEAH, WE DID! And post-victory shawarma is on me!” said Tony, grinning at Bruce. “Least I can do, after you saved me from an intergalactic tumble to the ground. Or actually, Hulk did. So I should probably pay for his shawarma. I would ask you to change into him again, Bruce, but Dr Sex-ena worked so hard to calm you down, and it would be a waste to make you green again.”

“What? Maya was here?” asked Bruce, stunned at Tony’s little monologue.

“Yeah, she calmed down the big guy herself. I must say, every version of you is whipped.” said Tony, putting an arm over a still-in-shock Bruce’s shoulders, steering him outside the building. “She stepped out once you were back to yourself, and went back to her safehouse.” Of course she did, thought Bruce morosely. She saw the real him, the green him, and is probably in shock. It was one thing to accept the Hulk in theory, and something totally different in practice. She’ll probably start distancing herself from him now. He wondered if she would ever smile at him again…Tony’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

“She told me to send you to her once our victory-shawarma-treat is done. Probably want to comfort you, Brucekins. I’d be careful with her though, Bruce, she has seen you naked, it may have put some lascivious thought in her mind…” Bruce’s face must have visibly perked up at that, because Tony added “So should I make that shawarma to go?”

 

Maya’s safehouse was a two-storey house in Brooklyn, looking like any other residence but having numerous security protocols in place to protect it, not to mention a bomb-proof structure. She lounged on the floor of its living room, having built a small pillow fort with couch cushions after she returned from her impromptu Hulk calming session. She had found a change of clothes in the closet of one of the rooms, but it wasn’t what she would call ideal. She was simply too curvy from the top for any of the shirts to button up, so she went with a V-necked tee she found, that was just a smidgen too snug, and a pair of men’s basketball shorts she found. She was utilizing the time on her hands by reading more about the Avengers on her tablet. There was a lot to read, but she was inevitably stuck on the Hulk, and read more and more about Bruce’s life.

So he was smart. Like super smart. Maya always prided herself in her intelligence and quick thinking, but Bruce’s brains were in a different ballpark. Of a different sport. In a different planet. And he was a pioneer in his field. So he was intellectually superior to most of the human population, apart from being a superhero, and having the fluffiest hair she had ever seen. On his head, that is. It’s not like she knew about any other hair on him. She had averted her eyes when he transformed back, to give him some privacy. And if she accidentally glanced at his broad, muscley, hairy chest, then she was only human. After all, she could have been much less gentlemanly with him. She giggled to herself.

She heard a ping. That must be the security disengaging. She had given Tony the security code for her safehouse, and instructions to send Bruce over once they were done with him. She hadn't expected him so soon, though.

She got up, and walked to the door. Yup, it was Bruce, as the security screen showed him walking up to the door, holding a small paper bag in his hand. He stood at the door and adjusted his hair a little- adorable- and finally rung the bell. Maya took a deep breath, suddenly feeling like fluffing up her own coffee-coloured locks, but resisted the impulse to work on her appearance. She really didn’t want to pull on that thread, knowing she could hardly look her best in her borrowed outfit.

She opened the door, and saw Bruce, smiling tentatively at her. She grinned in return, and his smile grew stronger, and he waved his small bag a little. “Would you like some shawarma?” he asked.

She felt so glad to see him that she grabbed his arm, pulled him towards her, and kissed his cheek. She beamed at his slightly blush, and replied, “I would love some. Come on in.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked this one, it was a bit short, but another chapter is coming up soon. Obviously, this is going to become a bit AU, because I intend to keep this pairing. Bruce/Natasha was okay in the movie, but this fic is totally about Bruce and Maya!  
> I’ll try to keep it pretty canon to the MCU, but a couple of divergences will happen :-).   
> I’ll also be explaining exactly how Hulk transforms back in the next chapter. Or have you already guessed? Let me know your thoughts!


	16. Taj Hotel

Maya sat on the couch, eating the shawarma Bruce had so thoughtfully brought for her. She explained to an extremely confused Bruce how they had managed to calm down Hulk. “It was like a yoga intervention” she said. “We all did breathing exercises and chanted ‘Om’ in front of him. Hulk was basically running on his instincts. One of our instincts is to mirror people. When someone is pointedly looking in some direction, don’t we always look there too? We all unconsciously imitate each other. Hulk does too, so he took in a couple of deep breaths, and whoop, there you are!” said Maya, flashing him a grin.

“But Hulk isn’t like all of us, Maya. That trick was very risky.” said Bruce, looking grave.

“The Hulk is a part of you, Bruce. And you are a part of him. It can be safely assumed that you will share certain instincts, habits and muscle memory. You do a lot of yoga, right?” asked Maya. Bruce nodded. “That’s what I thought.” said Maya, still grinning. “Hulk looked at us, and mirrored our breathing patterns. And you being an expert yogi, speeded up the process. Hulk must have remembered some of your yoga, and used it to calm himself, albeit subconsciously.” 

“That was still very dangerous, Maya. What if he would have attacked you?” asked Bruce. He was still looking very serious. Maya decided it was time to lighten the mood a bit. After all, she wasn’t officially his therapist anymore. She could take advantage of his funny side – among his other things- now.

“I was a safe distance, Bruce, and Tony was to extract me anytime things went out of hand. Plus, Hulk seemed pretty fond of Me.” said Maya, nonchalantly, waiting to see Bruce’s reaction to her words.

“Fond?” asked Bruce, looking alarmed. Bingo. Maya was giggling inside.

“Yes, that’s what it seemed like. He relaxed a bit when I came, almost like he was waiting for me. And he called me Strong Puny.” said Maya, and added, “Any explanation for that, Bruce?”

Bruce seemed adorably dumbstruck.

Bruce often cursed the Hulk. Countless times, he felt regret or anger at Hulk’s actions. But this was the first time he blushed at something he did.

Hulk must have picked a couple of things apart from yoga from his mind. Like Bruce’s affections for the leggy brunette sitting inches away. And judging by the wicked smile she aimed at him, Maya must have definitely figured this out. 

“I seem to have a habit of unknowingly revealing my innermost thoughts to you, Maya.” Said Bruce, fighting the blush trying to grow on his face. Their kiss, their heavenly, life affirming kiss, was still fresh in his mind. He didn’t really conceal his ardour for her then too.

She knew a lot about him now. He had laid bare every secret, about the Hulk, about his feelings, everything. And yet she wanted him close by. It was both astounding and comforting. He too, felt a thirst to know more about this amazing woman. But he didn’t want to push. As long as she kept him around, he could wait for everything else. As long as he didn’t feel she would cringe from his touch. He reached forward, and stroked the ends of her long hair lying near her arm. She smiled and leaned her head back on the couch and closed her eyes, seeming to enjoy it when he let his fingers run softly through her hair.

“I read a lot when you were fighting in New York, Bruce. Everything I had access to, old files, everything. Mostly about you.” Said Maya, looking at him with half-hooded eyes. Bruce listened, unsure what she was getting at. He already knew she was reading stuff about him. 

“I think it’s pretty unfair that I know so much about you, when you know so little about Me.” said Maya, twisting to sit facing him, “So I think I should remedy that.”

 

“Six years back, I didn’t even know S.H.I.E.L.D exists. I was working as a corporate counsellor in India. My academic record was amazing, and I had a double degree in psychiatry, a doctorate in psychology, and numerous awards and accolades. I had worked with several large conglomerates, and had developed a reputation for professionalism and competency. I had become one of the most sought-after young psychiatrists in the country.” said Maya, with a wry smile on her face. It seemed to Bruce she was laughing at her own success. 

“I thought I had achieved everything I could possibly want. I chose where I worked and commanded any sum I asked. And the funniest part was, that eventually, I barely practiced my expertise. Just my name on the payroll of companies made them look good, like I was a celebrity doctor. I acted as a consulting psychiatrist, with minimal interaction with actual patients, and maximum time spent at conferences and conclaves, where I milked my celebrity status, and took home fat pay checks for appearances and speeches. I was attending such a conference when everything changed.” Said Maya, all traces of humour gone from her beautiful face. Bruce let his hand cover hers, and squeezed reassuringly, but did not interrupt her.

“I was at the Taj Hotel in Mumbai, a heritage building built a century ago, as the keynote speaker for a prestigious psychology convention. I had a beautiful speech ready, rehearsed to the T. But before I could utter a single word, before I could even get on stage, the conference was suddenly disrupted. The organisers got on stage and said that the conference was cancelled, and that we had to evacuate the premises ASAP. I was amazingly self-involved at the time. All I could think of was how hard I had worked on my speech, and that I wouldn’t get my moment in the limelight. ‘They better have a good reason to cancel mid-event’ I’d thought, and boy, did they.”

“Terrorists had entered the city, and had attacked eight places in the city. And one of these my hotel. Grenades, gunfire… it was pure destruction. They were laying waste to the huge building. We didn’t know if they were going to take hostages, or kill on site. We didn’t even know why they were destroying the building. And everyone in the building was trapped, because we didn’t know where the terrorists were moving, and how we could escape. The police force and the army were all there to help us, but it was difficult to enter the building and reach the people scattered inside the enormous hotel. Everyone was confused and frightened.”

“Our conference room had been evacuated, and we, along with other guests in the area were trying to escape through the staff entrance. Some people had run out, when a grenade exploded in the wing above us and the exit was blocked. The rest of us were trapped and we didn’t know any other way out. Everyone was scampering in fear.”

“It was like I was stuck in a bad dream. I didn’t know where to go, where there was danger, and who was going to help. I was totally caught up in my fear, when I realized that almost all the people were feeling the same thing. I had this weird calm settle over me. This sense of purpose. I was renowned for my convincing abilities and calming presence. I could group everyone together and move towards safety.”

“That was the most intense therapy session of my life. I somehow managed to lead a very large group of frightened, confused people, and point them to safety. The cajoling, the calming, and the motivating I had to do… I hadn’t known I had it in me. We climbed to the third floor corridor of hotel rooms, which was seemed untouched and quiet and made a rope of hotel linens and sheets. We broke open a French window and climbed down quietly. Our entire group made it to safety, and we were whisked away from the hotel by the police outside.”

“That ride away from the hotel… It had my life’s greatest awakenings then. My career, my choices, my entire life seemed to have been dwarfed next to what I did in that hotel- I actually made a tangible difference in the world. So many years, I had convinced myself how I was helping out people through my talent, but all I had been doing was fattening my own pocket. Not once had I thought of putting myself at risk to help anyone. I wanted security, financial and otherwise, and everyone came second to my own needs. And the conceit! I had actually felt outraged when I realized I wasn’t going to give my precious speech at the conference. I couldn’t believe how petty I had become. That one journey away from that hotel, I realised that I needed to do something real. I realised that I had the potential of a sun in me, and all I had been doing was light up my own existence. I could do so much more.”

“I left my job, cancelled my speaking assignments, and sold my personal office. I went on the internet and started an intensive search on places where my skill set-psychiatrist, top honours, genius level IQ, can calm people in terrorist strike, willing to be in combat zone- could be used. My internet search gave me no answers, but it set off some red flags that was noticed by the right people. Within days, I received a call from S.H.I.E.L.D. Apparently, they had something for me. And I never even hesitated to take it.”

 

Bruce had listened to Maya with rapt attention. He had come to know more about her in the past hour than the entire time he had known her. She told her story honestly, and without varnish, and he felt like he glimpsed into her life for a minute. 

He was amazed. She went through something so horrible, and traumatic, remaining calm and somehow found in herself the reserve to guide so many others to calmness and safety. Then, instead of bowing to fear and trauma, she actually took it as inspiration to push herself more. She didn’t like what she was, so she found the courage to change. She resolved to help others-and spent years in the dangerous corridors of S.H.I.E.L.D and maintained that resolve, even when she saw the worst horrors the world had. And she remained in control, in balance. She still had her sheen of beauty, inside and outside, in place.

Bruce remained silent, thinking these thoughts. Maya must have assumed his silence as shock. “I know it’s difficult to process. I mean, I was kind of spoiled and materialistic back then” she babbled, seeming uncharacteristically vulnerable. “I always feel ashamed of my self-obsess-”

“If there is anything that you could have said, that would make me admire you even more, that was it.” Bruce said, interrupting her self-deprecation. He gently wrapped his arm around her waist, and pulled her towards him. “You are a goddess, Maya Saxena.” he said, looking into the green depths of her eyes.

A beatific smile broke out on Maya’s face, wiping away all traces of vulnerability. “I don’t agree with you.” she said. Before Bruce could argue his case of her goddess-ness, she linked her arms behind his neck, and leaned closer. “But I’m glad you think so” she said, right against his lips, and softly kissed the corner of his mouth. That soft brush of her lips was enough to fry Bruce’s brain. He grabbed her waist more tightly, and kissed her in earnest. She seemed to have no objection to his enthusiasm, and kissed him back just as fiercely. He pulled her into his lap, and she pressed herself against him, while her hands moved to his hair, grasping and pulling, while Bruce lost himself in the feel of her.

She really was a goddess. His goddess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys! Another update! My longest yet! SO, the secret to Bruce’s de-hulking is out. I always felt calmness came from within, and that everyone, even Hulk can be calmed by our resident mind doc :-P  
> I finally got around to writing the exciting deets of Maya’s backstory!!  
> I had been planning this out since a long time, and I’m pretty happy with the way it turned out! Let me know your thoughts :-*  
> This chapter is very close to my heart, because the terrorist attack on the Taj Hotel mentioned in the chapter was an actual attack on my own beautiful city. Many people, and several brave police officers lost their lives that day. Every time I sat down to write this chapter, I could only do a para or so, before the memories of the attack would overwhelm me, and I had to stop for the day.
> 
> I would like to dedicate this chapter to Hemant Karkare, the true hero that day, the chief of the Mumbai Anti-Terrorist Squad, who laid down his life protecting my city and its people. RIP
> 
> Thanks for reading, and comment if you liked it!


	17. Green Eyes

Bruce was in heaven. Or somewhere pretty darn similar to it.

It had been a week since the battle of New York. He was at Stark Tower (or Avengers Tower, now that Tony had considered the lone letter A hanging off the tower to be an sufficient cause for the rechristening). He had decided to stay with Tony and indulge in his urges to get back to science, while the other Avengers had parted ways after the battle. Thor escorted Loki to Asgard, promising them justice for Earth. Natasha and Clint had gone with Fury to handle the aftermath of the destruction that the battle caused. Steve wanted some time alone, so he went on his own path. Bruce hoped Steve found something to anchor him in the second innings of his life. Bruce had certainly found his own anchor, not in a place, but in a person.

And his head was currently cradled in said person’s lap, while he lounged on the couch in the entertainment unit in the Tower.

Maya was running her fingers through his unruly hair, nails giving him delightful scalp tingles. He sighed, wondering which God to thank for his luck (a very good question, as he personally knew two of them). Not only had he controlled the destructive urges in the other guy, but he had also been crucial to winning the battle, and saving Tony’s life. Finally, his other side had served a higher purpose. 

And he got to enjoy his post battle time with a beautiful, engaging, perceptive and lovely green-eyed goddess. He sighed again, in happiness, eyes still closed. Maya’s fingers paused their ministrations and she laughed softly.

Bruce opened his eyes and looked at her in askance. Maya giggled. “What?” asked Bruce, wondering about the source of her amusement, wanting to know what made her laugh. 

Maya smiled. “I knew you transformed into the Hulk when angry, but I didn’t know you transformed into a kitty when petted” she said, her finger continuing their aforementioned ‘petting’. He laughed, unable to deny his kitten-like response to her touch. Again, he couldn’t believe his luck. He actually found humour in a joke that mentioned (even obliquely) the Hulk. Truly, this was a new chapter in his life.

He lifted his head from her lap, and sat up, but wasn’t able to break physical contact with her for too long. He picked up her hand that was lying in her lap, and played with her delicate fingers, thinking over the last few days.

Maya had reported to SHIELD after their meeting at the safe house, and he had gone to see off Thor and their intergalactic criminal. Tony had brought Bruce straight back to the Tower, and after settling him in, flew out the Tower. He had returned a few hours later, with Maya in tow (literally in tow, because he had his Iron Man suit on, and he had carried her all the way to the Tower) and had deposited Maya (who told Tony not to make a habit of transporting her like a ragdoll) next to Bruce in the entertainment room. Then Tony had given Bruce a very smug grin, and said, “You’re welcome”, before flying out the room, with his suit destroying a speaker in the process.

Bruce assumed that Maya was in the Tower for her safety, waiting out the aftermath of the battle and the dangers outside like he was. But when hours turned to days, he hoped that she may have been staying in the tower to be with him, and not as a purely logical choice. Of course, he didn’t want to push his new-found luck and ask her to clarify.

But it seemed like he was still on a roll, when Maya, whose cheeks had turned slightly pink when he started playing with her fingers, started to speak. 

“I quit my job at SHIELD.”

Bruce looked at her, surprised. “Why?” he asked her. Was it because she needed some distance from the chaos and violence she had been through? Did she need some distance from him?

“A better job opportunity came up.” she said, grinning mischievously. Hmmm, it didn’t look like she was planning to let him down easy, so what- Then he realised.

“Does this have anything to do with Tony?” he asked, not wanting to get his hopes up. She may have been talking about moving back to India for all he knew…

“No,” she said, “But it does have something to do with Pepper.” Her smile grew smug. “She’s my new boss. I officially work for Stark industries now. On-Call Therapist for the Avengers reporting for duty.” she said, giving him a small salute with the hand not enveloped by his. 

Bruce’s heart threatened to explode with happiness. His inner Kitten was going to make a break for it any second. But he didn’t want her to throw away everything she had achieved at SHIELD for the Avengers, or for him. “But Maya, you wanted to make a difference, to do something big. Are you sure you want to be stuck here, in New York, just for us? Just for me?”

“Hey,” she said, looking him in the eye, “I will be making a difference. I’ll be helping out the guys who just made the biggest difference in the world a few days back. I will be there to support the people who need and deserve support the most. And I will be there for them when they need me. I will be there for you, Bruce. That’s the biggest thing I can possibly do for this world, and for myself.”

Bruce was hovering at the edge of a precipice since the moment he met her. But hearing her words, he took a clean tumble into love. After years of feeling alone, miserable and uselessly destructive, his life had taken a complete 180. He had purpose, focus and most importantly, love. And he couldn’t wait to begin the rest of his life, with her by his side.

“On-Call Therapist, eh? So I guess you’re staying permanently at the tower, too” said Bruce, and the laughter in her green eyes was answer enough. “I think I should ask Tony to put you in a suite near mine. I think I might need you to make a lot of house calls.”

“Is that so?” she murmured, leaning closer to him. “Let me check your vitals right now.” She looked into his eyes, while he stared into hers. “Pupil Dilation,hmmm, classic sign of stress.” She said, with a naughty smile, face still close to Bruce’s. Bruce remembered something, a thought he had had long ago.

“Your eyes…” he said, thinking, “Their colour matches something, but I’m not able to remember what.” It was at the edges of his memory, but he wasn’t able to bring it in focus.

Maya laughed, her soft breath hitting his face. “I also noticed it matches something a few days ago. Or should I say someone?” She grinned at his bemused expression. Suddenly, he realised what she was talking about. The Other Guy.

“Well, Maya, it seems we were made for each other, then” he said, softly. His lips were a breath away from hers.

“No, Bruce. It seems we were meant for each other.” she said, and closed the distance between their lips, and between their hearts.

Green was a good thing to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaand it’s over! Bruce and Maya’s journey comes to a close, and they ride off into the sunset… Sigh! This story took me over 2 years to complete, and I enjoyed every moment of it. I can’t thank you enough for sticking around for so long, and for all the support you gave. I wouldn’t have made it so far without you. 
> 
> For all those who haven’t gotten enough of this pair, I wanted to write a few one-shots about these two, and I will be taking prompts! Please post your prompt as a comment this story, or you can PM me. 
> 
> Finally a big thank you to all the lovely readers, who may not comment, but silently appreciate this work. Your time and thoughts mean a great deal to me, and I’m glad you liked this story enough to reach the end. I’d love to hear your thought about Green Eyes!
> 
> Thank you for reading!  
> *Takes bow*  
> Interesting Girl


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